them they managed to drag Ken back from the falls.
'Easy,' Frank cautioned the frightened youth, 'Relax. We'll have you out in a jiffy.'
Despite the weight of their clothes, the Hardys, both proficient at lifesaving techniques, soon worked Ken dose to the bank. Chet leaned over and helped haul him out of the water. Then
Frank and Joe climbed out.
To their relief, Ken, though white-faced and panting from exhaustion, seemed to be all right.
The Hardys flopped to the ground to catch their breath.
'That was a whale of a rescue!' Chet praised them.
'You bet!' Ken gasped weakly, 'Thanks, fellows! You've saved my life!'
'In a way it was our fault,' Joe replied ruefully. 'You wouldn't have fallen in if we hadn't come here. But why did you run away when you saw us?'
Ken hesitated before answering. 'Mr. Markel -the guard at the gatehouse-said you wanted to talk to me.
He warned me about talking to outsiders, because of the strict security at Elekton.'
Joe nodded. 'We understand, Ken. But,' he added, 'we have something important to ask you, and I don't think you will be going against company rules if you answer. Did anybody use your
bike the night before last to deliver a message to our house?'
'Your house?' Ken sounded surprised. 'No. At least, not that I know of.'
Joe went on, 'Did you buy a pedal in Bridgeport to replace the one missing from your bike?'
Ken again looked surprised. 'Yes. It was gone yesterday morning when I came to work. I
suspected someone must have used my bike and lost the pedal. When I couldn't find it around
here, Mr. Markel sent me to Bridgeport to buy a new one.'
It was on the tip of Frank's tongue to ask the boy i? he had seen any person in the area of the mill carrying a bow and arrow. But suddenly Mr. Markel and the maintenance man came
dashing from the mill.
'What's going on here?' the guard demanded, staring at the Hardys and Ken, who were still dripping wet.
Briefly, Frank told the men what had happened. They thanked the brothers warmly for the
rescue, and the maintenance man hustled Ken into the mill for dry clothes. He did not invite the Hardys inside.
Frank and Joe turned to Mr. Markel, intending to question him. But before they could, a horn
sounded and a shabby green panel truck approached the plant gate.
The guard hurried over to admit the truck and it entered without stopping. Suddenly Joe
grabbed Frank's arm. 'Hey! That truck's unmarked-it looks like the one Tony described.'
The brothers peered after the vehicle, but by this time it was far into the grounds, and had
turned out of sight behind one of the buildings.
'I wonder,' Joe said excitedly, 'if the driver is the man who gave the Pritos the counterfeit bill!'
The boys had noticed only that the driver wore a cap pulled low and sat slouched over the
wheel.
'If this truck's the same one, it may be connected with Elekton,' Frank said tersely.
Both Hardys, though uncomfortably wet, decided to stay and see what they could find out.
They hailed Mr, Markel as he walked back from the Elekton gate.
'Does that truck belong to Elekton?' Frank asked him.
'No, it doesn't,' the guard answered.
'Do you know who does own it?' asked Joe.
Mr. Markel shook his head regretfully, 'Sorry, boys. I'm afraid I'm not allowed to give out such information. Excuse me, I have work to do.' He turned and went back into the gatehouse.
'Come on, fellows,' Chet urged. 'You'd better not hang around in those wet clothes.'
The Hardys, however, were determined to stay long enough to question Ken Blake further, if
possible.
'He'll probably be coming outside soon,' said Joe. 'Frank and I can dry out on the beach by the cave. It won't take long in this hot sun.'
Chet sighed, 'Okay. And I know what I'm supposed to do-wait here and watch for Ken.'
Frank chuckled. 'You're a mind reader.'
Chet took his post at the edge of the woods, and the Hardys hurried down to the river's edge.
They spread their slacks and shirts on the sun-warmed rocks. In a short while the clothing was dry enough to put on.
'Say, maybe we'll have time to investigate that tunnel before Chet calls us,' Joe suggested eagerly.
He and Frank started for the cave, but a second later Chet came running through the woods
toward them.
'Ken came out, but he's gone on an errand,' he reported, and explained that the boy had rushed from the mill dressed in oversize dungarees and a red shirt. 'He was riding off on his bike when I caught up to him.
I told Ken you wanted to see him, but he said he had to make a fast trip downtown and deliver
an envelope to the Parker Building.'
'We'll catch him there,' Frank decided.
The three boys ran up the wooded slope and jumped into the Queen. They kept on the main
road to Bayport, hoping to overtake Ken, but they did not pass him.
'He must have taken another route,' Joe said.
At the Parker Building there were no parking spaces available, so Chet stopped his jalopy long enough to drop off Frank and Joe.
'I'll keep circling the block until you come out,' Chet called as he drove away.
There was no sign of Ken's bicycle outside the building. The Hardys rushed into the lobby and
immediately were met by a five-o'clock crowd of office workers streaming from the elevators.
Frank and Joe made their way through the throng, but saw no sign of Ken.
Joe had an idea. 'Maybe he was making the delivery to Mr. Peters, the name I saw on the
Manila envelope I picked up the other day. Let's see if Ken's still in his office.'
The boys ran their eyes down the building directory, but Mr. Peters was not listed. The brothers questioned the elevator starter, who replied that so far as he knew, no one by the name of
Peters had an office in the building.
Joe asked the starter, 'Did you notice a boy wearing dungarees and a bright-red shirt in the lobby a few minutes ago?'
'Sure,' was the prompt reply. 'Just before the five-o'clock rush started. I saw the boy come in and give an envelope to a man waiting in the corner over there. The man took the envelope
and they both left right away.'
'I guess he must be Mr. Peters,' Frank said.
'Could be,' the starter agreed. 'I didn't recognize him.'
As the Hardys hurried outside, Joe said, 'Well, we got crossed up on that one. Let's get back to the mill.
Ken will have to drop off the bike.'
The brothers waited at the curb for Chet. In a few minutes the Queen pulled up. 'All aboard!'
Chet sang out. 'Any luck?'
'No.'
When Frank told Chet they were returning to the mill, their good-natured friend nodded. 'It's fortunate I bought these sandwiches,' he said, indicating a paper bag on the seat beside him. 'I had a feeling we'd be late to supper.'
Joe snapped his fingers. 'That reminds me. I'll stop and phone our families so they won't wait supper for us.'
After Joe had made the calls and they were on their way again, he told Frank and Chet that Mr.
Hardy had left a message saying he would not be home until after ten o'clock.
