HARDY BOYS: 17. THE SECRET WARNING

CHAPTER 24. A BUSIED LIFEBOAT

A shock of dismay swept over them.

"That's the last straw!" Chet said in a voice husky with fright. "I'm going home!"

'' No, you 're not!'' rasped Frank. '' Fellows, we'll have to do some fast work. We've been entrusted with Chipsley's camera and it's gone. We must find it!"

"It would be bad enough if the camera belonged to us, but it doesn't," Joe groaned.

"Furthermore, it's worth a fortune. If Kuntz should get it-----"

"He'll be the only diver in the country who'll ever be given contracts," Frank finished.

"He'll be famous over night for the work he can do with that little instrument."

"And there's no telling what else besides legitimate diving jobs he'll use it for," his brother suggested. "With that camera it would be a simple matter to locate hidden bank vaults and such things."

Suddenly the phone bell jangled.
"It's the hotel clerk," whispered Frank, holding his hand over the mouthpiece.

"Yes," he continued, "this is Frank Hardy.

How's that? Oh! Very well. Thank you."
"What is it?" Joe inquired.
"The clerk says Mr. Perry called while we were out. He wants us to come down to the barge right away and bring the camera. They need another series of pictures to clear up some complications the divers have run into."

"Golly, isn't that just our luck!" Joe muttered disconsolately.

"We'd better tell the police," Chet murmured.

"Oh, they wouldn't be able to help much," Joe protested.

"No, I think Chet's right," the older Hardy lad decided. "They may not find a clue, and then again it's possible they will. It's worth a try."

On their way to the dock the boys stopped off at the local police headquarters, where Frank explained the situation and asked for help in locating the camera. The desk sergeant
promised to assign a man to the task immediately.

"We'll let you boys know if we find out anything," the official said.

At the dock Perry emerged from the darkness to greet them, his face wreathed in smiles.

"We've removed nearly a thousand dollars' worth of jewels already, fellows!" he exclaimed, "but I think some of the gold and silver bullion is in an adjoining vault. We can't get into it without a lot of trouble, and we need the camera." He suddenly stopped, seeing the gloomy look on Frank's face.

"Why, what's the matter?"

"The camera-it's gone!" Joe blurted out.

"Stolen! About an hour ago!"

Frank related the incident, adding that they had enlisted the aid of the police and that they would not rest until the device had been recovered.

Perry clenched his fists. "If ever I lay my hands on Kuntz, I'll-" He paused, too angry to finish.

"I think the thing for you to do, Mr. Perry, is to go ahead with the work on the Katawa, at least as much of it as you can do without more pictures," Frank suggested. "In the meantime, Joe and Chet and I will find Kuntz somehow and get back that machine one way
or another."

"It's likely he has the thing," the diver replied, "though there's a chance that such is not the case. Somebody else may have stolen it."

"Quite true," Joe admitted, "but whoever he was, he undoubtedly did the job for Kuntz.

"We'd better work on that premise until we find out differently."

"Well, best of luck, fellows!" Perry called, attempting io be cheerful. "We'll be waiting to hear from you."