Read Online The Apeman's Secret by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online

so.
    Presently they were able to make out a man in captain’s uniform. Another man, wearing third mate’s stripes, was with him, as well as several shaven-headed, white-robed cultie youths.
    â€œWhat’s the big idea, grabbing us as if we were criminals!” Frank said boldly to the captain.
    â€œWhat do you expect us to do when two harbor rats come sneaking aboard in the middle of the night?” the captain retorted roughly. “Shake hands and offer you a cup of coffee?”
    â€œWe came here to see a friend,” put in Joe.
    â€œFunny way to visit a friend, crawling aboard in the dark like a couple of sneak thieves!”
    â€œWe saw flashes of light from the deck, so we figured there must be someone on watch who could tell us if it was okay.”
    Joe would have liked to add sarcastically, “How do you suppose we could have climbed aboard if our friend hadn’t put a ladder over the side for us?” But he realized that any such remark was only apt to cause worse trouble for Buzz Barton, if he was not already in an unpleasant predicament. In any case, their captors must be well aware of how they had clambered up the side.
    â€œYou were right about one thing!” the captain growled. “There was someone on watch! And now that you’ve been caught trespassing on my ship, you’re going to be taught a lesson you won’t forget! Give‘em the deep six, fellows!”
    With hoots and cries the others closed in on the Hardys as the captain watched mockingly. Frank and Joe put up a fierce resistance, but they were overpowered by sheer numbers. The boys felt themselves picked up by a dozen hands. Next moment they were heaved over the side like jettisoned cargo!

    Kersplash! They hit the water almost simultaneously. Breathless from their steep plunge and the shock of immersion in the cold water, the Hardys floundered wildly for a few moments.
    Luckily both were good swimmers. They made it safely to their boat with three or four strong strokes. Boarding it without capsizing the craft was their next problem, but at last, soaked and panting, they flopped miserably into their little plastic rowboat.
    Jeering laughter rang out from the deck of the liner above them. Then, with a noisy clatter, the nylon climbing rig was tossed down on top of them.
    â€œThose cowards!” Joe raged, clenching his fists. “If only we could take ‘em on two at a time!”
    â€œForget it,” Frank said, gritting his teeth. “We did sneak aboard in the dark, and we knew we were taking a chance, so what’s the use of blowing our tops?”
    As they rowed back to the Sleuth, he added, “What worries me is what’s going to happen to Buzz Barton!”
    Joe shot an anxious glance at his brother. “You think they might really work him over?”
    â€œWho knows? If that skipper’s ruthless enough to throw us overboard, there’s no telling what he and those Noah nuts might do to someone who joined the cult under false pretenses!”
    â€œThat’s assuming they know Buzz is our friend and why he joined up.”
    â€œThey’re just bound to know!” Frank declared. “How else could they have gotten all set for us if they hadn’t dredged the truth out of Buzz?”
    â€œH‘m!” Joe said worriedly. “Then maybe we ought to call Dad and ask him to do something to get Buzz out of this mess! We’re the ones who got him into it!”
    â€œGood idea! Let’s try the radio!”
    As soon as they got back to their motorboat, the boys warmed up the Sleuth’s powerful transceiver and beamed out the Hardys’ emergency-code call. By luck, their broadcast brought an almost immediate response from their father, who happened to see the flashing signal on his own set that indicated an urgent transmission. “What’s up, Sons?”
    Frank hastily briefed him. The boys could tell from Fenton Hardy’s tone of