Read Online The Stone Idol by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online Page B

radioman,” was the reply.
    â€œWhat kind of messages do you send? High-level technical information?”
    â€œNo. Just routine stuff—reports to navy ships in the Ross Sea, weather warnings to other Antarctic bases, things like that.”
    â€œCould we watch you work sometime?”
    â€œOh, I’m sure it wouldn’t interest you.”
    After the meal was over, the Hardys went to a corner of the lounge to discuss the situation.
    â€œWhat did Bob mean by saying we wouldn’t be interested in his radio messages?” Joe wondered. “He sounded to me like he was afraid we might discover something.”
    â€œCould be,” Frank responded. “As a radioman, he would be in a position to communicate with gang members on other bases. We’d better keep an eye on him.”
    â€œHe could hardly be the ringleader, though,” Joe said. “I would think it takes more than a college freshman to run a gang of thieves spread out all over the world. ”
    Fenton Hardy joined them, and they reported to him their suspicion of Bob Field.
    â€œI’ll keep an eye on him,” their father promised. “You boys will be pushing off for Outpost I tomorrow. Any delay would look suspicious. Report to Professor Muller in the morning.”
    â€œDad, have you spotted any clues?” Joe asked.
    Fenton Hardy shook his head. “Nothing yet. But I’ll keep checking while you two are investigating at Outpost I. I don’t want to go into it now because we shouldn’t be seen with our heads together too much. The ringleader of the gang might figure out what we’re up to. ”
    He rose to his feet and walked off. Frank and Joe picked a couple of books from the library shelves and read until it was time to turn in with the rest of the men. They all slept in one room, where each had a locker at the foot of the bed and hooks on the wall to hang clothes.
    Bob Field had a bed next to the Hardys. As he was hanging up his shirt, Joe noticed a piece of paper in the breast pocket. The sheet was fine enough for Joe to see the word “radiogram” in reverse on the other side.
    â€œThat could be a message Bob’s sending for the ringleader!” the boy thought excitedly. “I’d better have a look at it. ”
    Joe waited until Bob and the rest were sound asleep, then he silently slipped out of his bed. He retrieved a pencil flashlight from his jacket pocket, stealthily edged over to Bob’s clothes, and eased the paper out of the breast pocket of the shirt. Slowly and carefully, to avoid making any noise, he opened the paper and played the beam of his flashlight on it.
    The message was:
    TO SUPPLY SHIP BALCHEN. REQUEST MORE CANNED PEAS. STORES RUNNING LOW. SIGNED IAN LANGTON, ADMIRAL, USN.
    Grinning in the darkness, Joe pushed the paper back into Bob’s shirt pocket. He doused his flashlight, returned to his bed, and fell asleep.
    In the morning, he took the first opportunity to tell Frank about the night’s episode.
    â€œGreat detective work!” Frank laughed. “You set out to expose a crook and ended up with an order for canned peas!”
    Joe nodded sheepishly. “Well, let’s see if anything is cooking in the admiral’s quarters.”
    The boys left the dormitory and found their father with Langton.
    â€œI don’t have a break in the case yet,” Fenton Hardy told them. “You two go to Outpost I. We can communicate by radio if anything develops.”
    â€œHow do we get there? Frank inquired.
    â€œBy Sno-Cat,” Langton replied. “You’ll be traveling by yourselves because the route’s quite easy to follow. Now, report to Professor Muller. He’ll explain the details.”
    Frank and Joe walked down the corridor to Muller’s office. The scientific advisor was shuffling papers on his desk.
    â€œHere’s what you need to get to Outpost I safely,” he said and pulled a map out of his