the tower treasure

TheTowerTreasure
By
FranklinW.Dixon
TheTowerTreasure
CHAPTERI
TheSpeedDemon
FRANKandJoeHardyclutchedthegripsoftheirmotorcyclesandstaredin
horrorattheoncomingcar.Itwascareeningfromsidetosideonthenarrow
road.
"He'llhitus!We'dbetterclimbthishillside-andfast!"Frankexclaimed,asthe
boysbroughttheirmotorcyclestoascreechinghaltandleapedoff.
"Onthedouble!"Joecriedoutastheystartedupthesteepembankment.
To their amazement, the reckless driver suddenly pulled his car hard to the
rightandturnedintoasideroadontwowheels.Theboysexpectedthecarto
turnover,butitheldthedustygroundandspedoffoutofsight.
"Wow!"saidJoe."Let'sgetawayfromherebeforethecrazyguycomesback.
That'sadead-endroad,youknow."
Theboysscrambledbackontotheirmotorcyclesandgunnedthemabittoget
pasttheintersectingroadinahurry.Theyrodeinsilenceforawhile,gazingat
thesceneahead.
Ontheirrightanembankmentoftumbledrocksandbouldersslopedsteeplyto
thewaterbelow.Fromtheoppositesideroseajaggedcliff.Thelittle-traveled
roadwaswinding,andjustwideenoughfortwocarstopass.

"Boy, I'd hate to fall off the edge of this road," Frank remarked. "It's a
hundred-footdrop."
"That'sright,"Joeagreed."We'dsurebesmashedtobitsbeforeweevergotto
thebottom."Thenhesmiled."Watchyourstep,Frank,orDad'spaperswon't
getdelivered."
Frankreachedintohisjacketpockettobesureseveralimportantlegalpapers
whichhewastodeliverforMr.Hardywerestillthere.Relievedtofindthem,
Frankchuckledand said,"Afterthe helpwegaveDadonhislatestcase,he
oughttosetupthefirmofHardyandSons."
"Why not?" Joe replied with a broad grin. "Isn't he one of the most famous
privatedetectivesinthecountry?Andaren'twebrighttoo?"Then,becoming
serious,headded,"Iwishwecouldsolveamysteryonourown,though."
Frank and Joe, students at Bayport High, were combining business with
pleasure this Saturday morning by doing the errand for their father. Even
thoughoneboywasdarkandtheotherfair,therewasamarkedresemblance
between the two brothers. Eighteen-year-old Frank was tall and dark. Joe, a
year younger, was blond with blue eyes. They were the only children of
FentonandLauraHardy.ThefamilylivedinBayport,asmallbutthrivingcity
offiftythousandinhabitants,locatedonBarmetBay,threemilesinlandfrom
theAtlanticOcean.
Thetwomotorcycleswhippedalongthenarrowroadthatskirtedthebayand
led to Willowville, the brothers' destination. The boys took the next curve
neatlyandstartedupalong,steepslope.Heretheroadwasamereribbonand
badlyinneedofrepair.
"Oncewegettothetopofthehillitwon'tbesorough,"Frankremarked,as
they jounced over the uneven surface. "Better road from there into
Willowville."
Justthen,abovethesharpput-putoftheirownmotors,thetwoboysheardthe
roarofacarapproachingfromtheirrearatgreatspeed.Theytookamoment
toglanceback.
"Lookslikethatsameguywesawbefore!"Joeburstout."Goodnight!"
AtoncetheHardysstoppedandpulledasclosetotheedgeastheydared.
Frank and Joe hopped off and stood poised to leap out of danger again if
necessary.
Thecarhurtledtowardthemlikeashot.Justwhenitseemedasifitcouldnot
miss them, the driver swung the wheel about viciously and the sedan sped
past.
"Whew!Thatwasclose!"Frankgasped.

Thecarhadbeentravelingatsuchhighspeedthattheboyshadbeenunableto
getthelicensenumberoraglimpseofthedriver'sfeatures.Buttheyhadnoted
thathewashatlessandhadashockofredhair.
"IfIevermeethimagain,"Joemuttered,"I'll-I'll-"Theboywastooexcitedto
finishthethreat.
Frankrelaxed."Hemustbepracticingforsomekindofrace,"heremarked,as
thedark-bluesedandisappearedfromsightaroundthecurveahead.
The boys resumed their journey. By the time they rounded the curve, and
could see Willowville in a valley along the bay beneath them, there was no
traceoftherashmotorist.
"He'sprobablyhalfwayacrossthestatebythistime,"Joeremarked.
"Unlesshe'sinjailoroveracliff,"Frankadded.
TheboysreachedWillowvilleandFrankdeliveredthelegalpaperstoalawyer
whileJoeguardedthemotorcycles.Whenhisbrotherreturned,Joesuggested,
"HowabouttakingtheotherroadbacktoBayport?Idon'tcravegoingover
thatbumpystretchagain."
"Suitsme.WecanstopoffatChet's."
Chet Morton, who was a school chum of the Hardy boys, lived on a farm
about a mile out of Bayport. The pride of Chet's life was a bright yellow
jalopy which he had named Queen. He worked on it daily to "soup up" the
engine.
FrankandJoeretracedtheirtrip forafewmiles,thenturnedontoacountry
roadwhichledtothemainhighwayonwhichtheMortonfarmwassituated.
AstheynearedChet'shome,Franksuddenlybroughthismotorcycletoastop
andpeereddownintoaclumpofbushesinadeepditchatthesideoftheroad.
"Joe!Thatcrazydriverorsomebodyelsehadacrack-up!"
Among the tall bushes was an overturned blue sedan. The car was a total
wreck,andlaywheelsupward,amassoftangledjunk.
"We'dbetterseeifthere'sanyoneunderneath,"Joecriedout.
Theboysmadetheirwaydowntheculvert,theirheartspounding.Whatwould
theyfind?
Acloselookintothesedanandintheimmediatevicinityprovedthattherewas
novictimaround.
"Maybethishappenedsometimeago,"saidJoe,"and-"
Franksteppedforwardandlaidhishandontheexposedengine."Joe,it'sstill
warm,"hesaid."Theaccidentoccurredashortwhileago.NowI'msurethisis
thered-haireddriver'scar."

"Butwhatabouthim?"Joeasked."Ishealive?Didsomebodyrescuehim,or
whathappened?"
Frank shrugged. "One thing I can tell you. Either he or somebody else
removedthelicenseplatestoavoididentification."
The brothers were completely puzzled by the whole affair. Since their
assistancewasnotneededatthespot,theyclimbedoutoftheculvertandback
ontotheirmotorcycles.BeforelongtheywereinsightoftheMortons'
home, a rambling farmhouse with an apple orchard at the rear. When they
droveupthelanetheysawChetatthebarnyardgate.
"Hi,fella!"Joecalled.
Chethurrieddownthelanetomeetthem.Hewasaplumpboywholovedto
eatandwasrarelywithoutanappleorapocketofcookies.Hisround,freckled
faceusuallyworeasmile.ButtodaytheHardyssensedsomethingwaswrong.
As they brought their motorcycles to a stop, they noticed that their chum's
cheeryexpressionwasmissing.
"What'sthematter?"Frankasked.
"I'mintrouble,"Chetreplied."You'rejustintimetohelpme.Didyoumeeta
fellowdrivingtheQueen?"
FrankandJoelookedateachotherblankly.
"Yourcar?No,wehaven'tseenit,"saidJoe."What'shappened?"
"It'sbeenstolen!"
"Stolen!"
"Yes.IjustcameouttothegaragetogettheQueenandshewasgone,"
Chetansweredmournfully.
"Wasn'tthecarlocked?"
"That'sthestrange part ofit.Shewas locked, althoughthegarage door was
open.Ican'tseehowanyonegotawaywithit."
"Aprofessionaljob,"Frankcommented."Autothievesalwayscarryscoresof
keyswiththem.Chet,haveyouanyideawhenthishappened?"
"Notmorethanfifteenminutesago,becausethat'swhenIcamehomewiththe
car."
"We'rewastingtime!"Joecriedout."Let'schasethatthief!"
"ButIdon'tknowwhichwayhewent,"Chetprotested.
"We didn't meet him, so he must have gone in the other direction," Frank
reasoned.

"Climb on behind me, Chet," Joe urged. "The Queen can't go as fast as our
motorcycles.We'llcatchherinnotime!"
"Andtherewasonlyalittlegasinmycar,anyway,"Chetsaidexcitedlyashe
swunghimselfontoJoe'smotorcycle."Maybeithasstalledbythistime."
In a few moments the boys were tearing down the road in pursuit of the
automobilethiefI
CHAPTERII
TheHoldup
CHET MORTON'S jalopy was such a brilliant yellow that the boys were
confidentitwouldnotbedifficulttopickupthetrailoftheautothief.
"The Queen's pretty well known around Bay-port," Frank remarked. "We
shouldmeetsomeonewhosawit."
"Seemsstrangetome,"saidJoe,"thatathiefwouldtakeacarlikethat.
Autothievesusuallytakecarsofastandardmakeandcolor.They'reeasierto
getridof."
"It'spossible,"Franksuggested,"thatthethiefdidn'tstealthecartosellit.
Maybe,forsomereason,hewasmakingafastgetawayandhe'llabandonit."
"Look!"Chetexclaimed,pointingtoatruckgardenwhereseveralmenwere
hoeingcabbageplants."MaybetheysawtheQueen."
"I'llaskthem,"Frankoffered,andbroughthismotorcycletoastop.
Hescrambledoverthefenceandjumpedacrosstherowsofsmallplantsuntil
hereachedthefirstfarmhand.
"Didyouseeayellowjalopygobyherewithinthepasthour?"Frankasked
him.
Thelankyoldfarmerleanedonhishoeandputahandtooneear."Eh?"he
shouted.
"Didyouseeafellowpassalonghereinabrightyellowcar?"Frankrepeated
inaloudertone.
The farmer called to his companions. As they ambled over, the old man
removedaplugoftobaccofromthepocketofhisoverallsandtookahearty
chew.
"Ladherewantstoknowifwesawajalopycomeby,"hesaidslowly.
Theotherthreefarmhands,allratherelderlymen,didnotansweratonce.