149-The Chase for the Mystery Twister by Franklin W. Dixon

Author:Franklin W. Dixon [Dixon, Franklin W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-08-07T15:15:10+00:00

CHAPTER 9

The Black-Haired Man

Frank knew he couldn't run beyond the height or width of the great wall before it crashed to the ground. Thinking fast, he took one long stride left and - tried to time his leap so that his body would end up in the space left open for the loft's door frame.

"Frank!" Joe screamed again as the wall crashed to the ground with a thundering boom, sending a cloud of dust shooting in every direction.

Joe ran through the cloud, desperate to free his brother from the heavy wooden structure. Joe lifted with all his might, but it wouldn't budge. Help me get my brother out from under here!" he shouted to the onlookers.

"Forget it," a voice from the midst of the dust cloud said. "I'm over here." Standing in the open door frame, unhurt, was Frank Hardy. Coughing up some dust, he said casually, "Don't try this trick at home, folks."

The Hardys found Phil examining the ropes that had broken. "See how this part is frayed and the other half is smooth?" he said, pointing to the end of the rope. "Someone cut it halfway through."

All the workers had rushed over to help. Joe noticed one person was missing, though. "Where's Hal Kanner?" he said.

"Someone else is gone, too," Frank told Joe. "I saw a man with black hair and a mustache listening to our conversation. He disappeared right before the wall fell."

"There's thirty of us, and we ought to be able to find them," Snowdon said, urging the group, in every direction.

Instead of rushing off with the others, Joe paused and scanned the area. He noticed a place in the cornfield where stalks had been trampled down. "Frank, over this way!" Joe called after his brother, then set off at a dead run into the field.

Joe looked both ways down each row as he crossed them. He was crossing his ninth row of corn when someone leaped out from behind and tackled him to the ground. Joe got a glimpse of his assailant out of the corner of his eye before the man ground Joe's face into the red dirt of the cornfield, making it nearly impossible for him to breathe. Joe wriggled and bucked and tried every move he knew, but he could not shake off his opponent. He reached back and got a hold on the man's hair.

"Joe!" he heard his brother shouting from a distance.

At the sound of Frank's voice, Joe's assailant bolted. But his hair did not go with him. Joe rolled over and found he was clutching a curly black wig. He could hear his attacker brushing past stalks of corn and jumped to his feet to pursue the man.

This time he was on his guard when he broke through each new row, but he did not catch sight of the mystery man. He stopped to listen again and heard the sound of machinery being started up. He ran toward the sound and was just able to see the top of a farm machine over the cornstalks.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.