002 The House on the Cliff by Franklin W. Dixon

Author:Franklin W. Dixon [Dixon, Franklin W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XII

The Secret Passage

CAUTIOUSLY Frank and Joe made their way across the slippery rocks. Suddenly there was a loud splash as Joe lost his footing.

“Are you all right?” Frank whispered, as he came up to where his brother was standing in the shallow water at the edge of the cliff.

“Yes. For a moment I sure thought I’d sprained my ankle,” Joe replied tensely, “but it seems to be okay now.”

“Give me your hand,” Frank whispered and quickly pulled Joe back onto the rocks.

The Hardys had landed at a point some twenty-five yards from the tunnel opening, but the climb over the treacherous rocks was so difficult that the distance seemed much longer. It was very dark in the shadow of the steep cliff. The waves breaking against the rocks had a lonely and foreboding sound.

“Good night!” Joe muttered. “Aren’t we ever coming to that tunnel?”

“Take it easy,” Frank advised. “It can’t be much farther.”

“I hope Tony and Chet will hurry back with help,” Joe said. “This is a ticklish job.”

“If anybody’s on guard here, we’ll certainly be at a disadvantage,” Frank remarked in a barely audible tone. “Watch out!”

By this time they had reached the entrance to the tunnel. After a few cautious steps they discovered that the narrow piece of land between the water and the base of the cliff was covered by a thick growth of bushes.

Frank turned to Joe. “If we try to walk through all that stuff,” he whispered, “we’re sure to be heard. That is, if those men are in here some place.”

Joe grunted in agreement. “What shall we do?”

Tentatively, Frank put one foot into the water from the rock on which he was standing.

“It isn’t deep,” he said. “I guess we can wade through.”

The boys hugged the wall and started off. Fortunately, the water came only to their knees because there was a shelf of rocks all the way along. The brothers’ hearts beat wildly. What would they find ahead of them?

The boys had not heard a sound since entering the tunnel. It appeared that the men in the row. boat had gone on to some secret hiding place.

“I think I’ll risk my flashlight,” Frank said in a low voice as they reached the pond. “We can’t find out anything without it.”

He pulled one he always carried from its waterproof case and snapped it on. The yellow beam shone over the pond. There was no sign of the rowboat.

“How do you think those men got out of here?” Joe asked. “Do you suppose there’s another opening?”

Frank turned the flashlight onto the steep sides surrounding the water. “I don’t see any. My guess is that those men hid the boat some place. Let’s make a thorough search.”

Slowly the brothers began to walk around the edge of the pond, brushing aside the heavy growth and peering among the bushes. They had about given up in despair as they reached the section by the far wall of the tunnel. Then, as Frank beamed the flashlight over the thicket, he exclaimed hoarsely, “Look!”

“A door!” Joe whispered tensely.

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