Hardy Boys Mysteries - 026 The Phantom Freighter by Franklin W. Dixon

Author:Franklin W. Dixon [Dixon, Franklin W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub

CHAPTER XIII

The Fourth Dummy

“LooK out, Joe!” Frank cried again in horror at his brother’s predicament.

Joe dived to safety under the large truck. He had scarcely hit the floor when the driverless cart smashed into the larger vehicle. Boxes and parcels on the hand truck flew through the air.

Joe, unhurt, scrambled out. He suspected that the fugitive had shoved the hand truck toward him in an attempt to gain time for himself and disappear in the network of alleys along the water front.

He caught sight of the fellow at a gateway to the dockyard. Then the fugitive vanished from view.

Joe raced in pursuit. As he reached the open gate he got a brief glimpse of the fugitive hurrying up the street, but a moment later he was gone again.

“Probably ducked into one of those stores,” Joe concluded.

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The Fourth Dummy 109

That, in fact, was just what the man with the scar had done. The place was a clothing store known as “Fit-Your-Figure Charlie’s.” The owner was on the sidewalk, looking in his display window. Three dummies dressed in gaudy business suits stood staring toward the street. The stevedore, thinking he was unobserved, darted into the store and looked for a rear exit. But there was none.

Charlie, who was small, stout and alert for customers, had seen the man, however, and followed him into the store.

“You seem in an awful hurry, mister,” he remarked. “What can I do for you? A nice suit, maybe. A pair of pants-“

“You’ve got to hide me! Quickl You got a basement in this place?” demanded the man roughly.

Fit-Your-Figure Charlie drew back. He decided instantly that this stranger was a fugitive and he wanted no part of him.

“Outside, mister!” he ordered. “I’m hiding nobody. If you didn’t come here to buy, you-“

Charlie got no further. A heavy fist lashed out and landed full on his jaw. The merchant went down, and sprawled unconscious against the counter.

His assailant took a step toward the door. Then he drew back, crouching. Joe Hardy was racing up the street. The boy hesitated a moment, as if to enter. Then he hurried on, not sure which door the

110 The Phantom Freighter

man he was after had entered. The boy looked into the next two stores, then spoke to a fellow lounging outside a pawnshop.

“Did a man run past here just now?” he asked excitedly.

The lounger blinked. “I saw a guy run into Fit-Your-Figure Charlie’s a minute ago.

Seemed in a hurry.”

Joe rushed back and dashed into the clothing store. It was apparently deserted. No clerk. No customers. Puzzled, the boy returned to the street. Then he heard a groan.

Stepping into the store again, he heard another groan, this time louder. He traced it to its source, and found the unconscious shopkeeper on the floor. Joe ran to a small office at the rear of the store, where he found a water faucet and a towel. He wet the towel and returned to Charlie. The cold water revived the man and he sat up.

“Fellow came in here-slugged me-” he mumbled.

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