The Secret of Phantom Lake by Alfred Hitchcock

Author:Alfred Hitchcock
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

50

The Intruder

They ran again to the cove. On the way they met Jupiter, still puffing towards the little beach! The portly leader of the Investigators looked at them hopelessly as they raced past him going the opposite way.

“Oh, no!” he groaned, and turned to pant after them again.

The lines were untied, the engine was started, and Pete was ready at the helm when Jupiter finally arrived and collapsed in the boat. Pete steered for the open water. The motorboat was only a few hundred yards ahead.

“Full speed, Peter! Catch him!” Professor Shay urged, and shook his fist towards the motorboat. “Stebbins, you thief!”

Still panting, Jupiter sat up. “You know him, Professor? The young man in the VW? Who is he?”

“My former assistant, young Stebbins,” Professor Shay raged. “He was a graduate student over at Ruxton University, a poor young man, and I tried to help him. But he stole from me! He tried to sell valuable historical items from the Society’s museum. I had to fire him, and he was sent to prison for a year!”

The motorboat was much farther ahead now, almost a half a mile.

“We’ll never catch him,” Pete said. “We’re too slow.”

Professor Shay glared towards the now distant motorboat.

“You wondered how Java Jim knew so much about the treasure and the

Gunns, Jupiter,” he said. “There’s your answer! I recall now that Stebbins was very interested in the Argyll Queen and old Angus Gunn! He must have escaped, or been paroled. Now he’s up to his old tricks. He’s probably working with your Java Jim, by Caesar! He’s a most dangerous young criminal!”

“Stebbins must have been the one who photographed the journal at Headquarters last night,” Bob decided.

“Yes,” Jupiter agreed. “That’s how he knew about the island. But he didn’t find anything. If he had, he wouldn’t have stood around there watching us.”

“That makes us even,” Bob said. “We didn’t find anything, either.”

Bob’s words cast a pall over the sailing-boat, and they sailed the rest of the way in silence. Professor Shay stared after the now vanished motorboat.

When they docked in the marina, there was no sign of Stebbins, his boat, or his

Volkswagen.

“I shall report that villain to the police at once,”

Professor Shay said angrily. “He did break into your office last night.”

“I didn’t actually see him, sir,” Jupiter pointed out.

“But you know he did, and at least I can alert the police to the young blackguard!”

“What a day!” said Pete. “We let a crook slip out of our hands, and we couldn’t find the treasure.”

The professor shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry, boys. This treasure hunt looks hopeless. Perhaps a hundred years is just too long ago.”

“I must admit we’re making little progress,” Jupiter said.

Cluny cried, “There’s still more than a month left in the second journal, fellows! Don’t stop now!”

“I’m afraid,” Professor Shay said sadly, “if you do go on, I’ll have to leave it to you boys. I mustn’t neglect my work. But I’ll be most eager to hear if you do discover something.”

They watched the professor walk to his station wagon and drive off.

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