Book 2, Ch. 17

The House on the Cliff

Chapter 17: Hostages

 

 

 

 

The trio runs stealthily across the lawn toward the road, only to hear a shout, “The Hardys have escaped!” Smugglers appear from every direction, combing the woods and yard with their lights! Their father quickly instructs Frank and Joe to lie facedown in the woods. They are not spotted! Once the men have passed, the Hardys make a run for the empty house. They take refuge in the secret attic the boys discovered earlier. Inching up the creaky stair, the detectives hear voices downstairs! Another search is organized through every room, and ends without mention of the attic. But to their dismay, minutes later they hear Klein reenter the room and show Snattman right to the attic door! It opens and Snattman advances into the attic. Caught in the brilliant beam of his flashlight, the Hardys are cornered! “You are my hostages!” the cunning smuggler announces. Only if his criminal gang escapes from the police will Snattman release the detectives alive!

Book 2, Ch. 16

The House on the Cliff

Chapter 16: Quick Work

 

 

 

 

Discouraged at their predicament, Frank and Joe are amazed to see their father working off his ropes. Through quick thinking, the senior detective kept his muscles flexed while being tied up. Now his bonds are slightly loose and he wriggles out of them! As Mr. Hardy tiptoes over to release the boys, a creaking board wakes the sleeping guard, Malloy. The detective flings himself onto the smuggler and gags him, and a silent struggle ensues. The two roll across the floor, exchanging punches, until Mr. Hardy manages to grab Malloy’s gun. At the boys’ prompting, he also seizes the guard’s knife, and hurriedly cuts Joe’s ropes away. After Joe releases Frank’s bonds, the boys tie Malloy up with the same ropes on the cot. Free again, the trio decides to sneak down to meet the Coast Guard, who should be on the way. But no sooner have they entered the stairway then they hear voices approaching from below! The Hardys quickly turn and ascend more stairs to a trap door, which Mr. Hardy knows to lead out into the woodshed on the Pollitt property. After heaving the logs off the top of the trapdoor, the detectives steal silently out of the woodshed into the dark, shadowy yard.