080-The Roaring River Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon

Author:Franklin W. Dixon [Dixon, Franklin W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-08-07T15:12:14+00:00

Chapter 13

Robbers' Roost

As the bear reached for him with its claws, Joe rolled desperately to one side. The ferocious beast hurtled past him into the underbrush, and Joe swung up into the tree beside Frank.

Whirling around, the bear reared up and reached for the boys. It took a swipe at Frank that just missed him. He and Joe climbed up higher and looked down from a safe perch. Gradually the bear stopped clawing at the tree and ceased growling. It got down on all fours and lumbered off into the woods followed by the cubs. The sound of their breaking through the underbrush died away.

The Hardys climbed onto the lower branches of the tree and jumped to the ground.

"Earl Majors said a black bear can be ornery!" Joe gulped. "Now I know what he meant!"

"You and me both, Joe! Lucky for us that bear went in the opposite direction. I hope we don't meet another one in the woods!"

They moved on following the signs of bent grass and broken twigs. Beyond a row of trees they came to an open, level space that had been hacked out of the forest.

"That's an airstrip!" Joe exclaimed. "You can see the ruts where tires hit the ground!"

"They look like chopper marks," Frank said. "Somebody's been flying in and out."

The Hardys advanced cautiously, watching for danger at every step. Suddenly Frank grabbed Joe by the elbow and pointed ahead. The sound of voices could be heard faintly in the distance.

The boys crept stealthily through the trees. The sound grew louder. They hit the ground and crawled behind a spreading bush. Parting the branches, they peered through.

A small cabin stood in a forest glade, and two tents were pitched next to it. Several men were sitting on the ground in front of the tents. Five life jackets were lying side by side on the grass.

The Hardys recognized the leader of the group from the picture their father had shown them.

"Wolf Erskin!" Joe gasped. "These are the bank robbers, Frank!"

"And that's Bill Black behind Erskin!" Frank whispered. "The clerk who followed us in The Sports Center! He's one of the gang. He must have shown them how to break into the store!"

"And he's probably responsible for my 'accident' in the tunnel," Joe guessed.

Erskin turned to the man next to him. The Hardys strained to hear what the gang leader said.

"Lewis, I'm tired of waiting for Fernandez to disband his expedition and get out. I wish the director would give us the green light to run him off the river. We could wind up this whole operation!"

"Our guy on the crew said he'd let us know when the time is right," Lewis declared. "He also promised to get the life jacket for us, just like he did the other five. But he has to wait for the right moment. He doesn't want Fernandez to suspect him."

Frank and Joe stared at one another. They were thinking the same thing. Lewis was referring to one of Ollie's crew. Could

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