Mystery at Devil's Paw (5 page)

Frank's eyes narrowed and he snapped his fingers. “You know, Aunt Gertrude may have given us a valuable clue!”

“What do you mean?” Joe asked.

“That missile she told us about. If it dropped in this area, foreign agents may be trying to find it before any Americans do.”

“That makes sense,” Joe agreed. “Maybe we've got a rocket search on our hands after all.”

The afternoon passed quickly while the boys busied themselves with camp chores. At seven o'clock they ate supper, then talked over their plans until nightfall. When it was dark, Tony said, “Come on. I'll show you a real salmon run!”

The boys crossed to the west bank by boat, then made their way along the shore to the falls. The moon had gone behind a cloud, so Tony aimed his flashlight toward the cascading waters. The others gasped at the spectacle.

The river was alive with salmon! Glinting pink and silver in the beam of light, the fish were leaping and wriggling their way up the six-foot falls.

“Talk about a subway rush!” Joe chuckled. “What makes them so anxious to get upriver?”

“Sort of homing instinct,” Tony replied. “When they're two to six years old, depending on the species, they head back to fresh water where
they were born. Then they lay their eggs and die.”

To keep from frightening the salmon, Tony used his light only in brief flashes. One of the flashes revealed a set of stone steps in the waterfall.

“It's called a ladder,” Tony explained. “The Fish and Wildlife Service installs them in many streams to help the salmon make their leaps.”

By the time they returned to camp, the newcomers were yawning and ready to crawl into their sleeping bags. The next morning, after a refreshing sleep, they ate a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, and fried potatoes. Then Frank suggested that they make a tour of the island to check for clues.

“Good idea,” Tony agreed.

As they strode along, the Hardys kept constantly on the alert for any signs of a sneak visit by their enemies. Suddenly Joe let out a cry.

“Look!” he exclaimed, pointing to the ground ahead.

A fresh trail of footprints led from the underbrush down to the water and back! They had obviously been made by two persons. Frank studied the prints with keen interest and called his brother's attention to the heelmarks. Each contained a circle and star.

“The same kind of heelmark Stransky made back at the Bayport airfield,” Frank commented.

“Good night! You don't mean that same guy is
here
too?” Chet burst out.

Frank shook his head. “Stransky couldn't have made both sets of prints, even if he managed to break jail. But they may have been made by men working with him or for him.”

“The same guys who took those potshots at me?” Tony asked with a worried look.

Frank shrugged. “No telling, but these prints aren't more than a few hours old. Whoever made them was here on the island last night!”

A
SILENCE
fell on the campers as the full import of Frank's words sank in.

“What I'd like to know,” Joe put in, “is how those prowlers got here. We would have heard a motorboat.”

“I doubt if they'd have taken a chance on waking us,” Frank said thoughtfully. “Seems more likely they came in a canoe.”

Joe spoke up. “You could be right about that, Frank. They might even have come from somewhere upriver and portaged around the falls.”

Frank nodded. “I think we should scout this whole area from the air. That would give us a chance to learn the terrain and all the streams around here.”

“Swell idea!” Joe agreed. “We might even spot the enemy camp!”

Tony, whose equipment included a two-way radio, volunteered to call the Fish and Wildlife Service in Juneau. “They put a helicopter into service just a few months ago,” he informed the others. “I'm sure that we could arrange a flight.”

“Good! How about calling them right now?” Frank urged.

Tony did so, and the official on duty promised to send the helicopter to the island early the next morning.

That afternoon, while Tony attended to writing out some reports and Chet stretched out for a nap, Frank and Joe decided to explore the riverbank above the falls.

The two boys crossed over from the island by motorboat, then hiked northward along the rising shoreline. The ground underfoot was soft with a thick layer of pine needles and mossy vegetation.

“Feels like walking on a carpet,” Joe remarked.

“Just right for moccasins,” said Frank. “But I could sure do without the mosquitoes!”

When they were several hundred yards past the falls, Frank pointed through the trees to an object in the river. “Take a look at that rock out there, Joe. Pretty unusual, eh?”

Joe shaded his eyes and squinted at the curious pillar of stone. Rising almost six feet above the water, it was black and shaped like an hourglass. The spray from the rapids made it glisten in the sunshine.

“It sure is odd!” Joe agreed. “I wonder if it's a natural formation.”

“Let's find out,” Frank proposed.

The boys pushed through a thick grove of brush and alders which grew almost to the river's edge. Here they removed their shoes and socks, rolled up their pants, and waded out into the stream.

“Wow! This water's ice cold!” Joe exclaimed.

“Watch out for those sharp stones on the bottom,” Frank said.

The black rock stood only a few yards from shore. It was smooth and weathered, showing no signs of having been chipped or chiseled into shape by tools.

“Funny how it narrows in the middle,” Frank said. “Could the water alone have done that?”

“Probably,” Joe mused, “it gets worn away by silt and debris when the river's—”

The words ended in a yell of surprise as Joe was suddenly knocked flat by a huge paw. With a splash, he landed in the water! Frank, whirling, saw an enormous brown bear! A menacing growl rumbled from its throat.

Before the bear could aim another blow, Frank plunged into the icy rapids. Balked, the huge beast then turned back to his first target. Joe was stunned and floundering in the shallow water. The bear's claws arced toward him in a vicious swipe! But Frank yanked his brother's arm, pulling him out of the way. The bear's paw missed Joe by inches!

A menacing growl rumbled from the bear's throat.

Towing Joe with one hand, Frank swam frantically out of range. The foaming rapids threatened to sweep them toward the falls, but fortunately, the two boys were strong swimmers and finally reached the shore.

Meanwhile the bear, towering erect on his hind legs, glared at the youths. Luckily he made no move to pursue them.

“What a monster!” Joe gasped as they sank down on the bank. “He must be nine feet tall!”

“At least,” Frank panted. “And I'll bet he weighs close to a ton!”

Joe shivered in his soaked clothing. “What made him so mad? I thought those fellows seldom attacked humans unless they're provoked.”

“There's your answer.” Frank chuckled wryly. “We
did
provoke him—by barging into his private fishing spot!”

Down on all fours again, the bear had just speared a plump salmon with one stroke of his paw. Flopping back on his haunches in the water, the huge animal devoured the fish in a few gulps.

Splat!
Another salmon fell prey to his mighty paw. This too disappeared down his gullet, followed by half a dozen others in quick succession. At last, his hunger satisfied, the bear lumbered out of the water and vanished among the alders.

“Whew!” Joe let out a whistle of relief. “I'm sure not sorry to see that baby leave!”

“That makes two of us,” Frank murmured. “Let's get back to camp before we freeze in these wet clothes!”

Dripping and shivering, the Hardys trudged along the riverbank.

“Hold it!” Joe exclaimed, stopping suddenly. He bent down and plucked a battered knapsack out of the underbrush. “I wonder who lost this.”

“Take a look inside,” Frank suggested. “Maybe there'll be some clue to the owner.”

Joe unbuckled the straps and groped inside the pouch. “No. It's empty,” he announced, holding the bag open for Frank to see.

“Wait a minute! I think there's an extra thickness of leather in there.” Frank took the knapsack and ran his fingers around the interior. “Sure enough! There's a secret pocket!”

Joe looked on as Frank removed the contents. There were two items. One was a piece of jade, carved in the likeness of a fierce-looking bird. The other was a crumpled piece of paper.

“A map!” Frank exclaimed, unfolding the paper.

“Of what?” Joe stared in puzzlement. The map, crudely drawn, showed a river or stream of water and various other geographical features. But it bore no place names.

“Maybe Tony will recognize it,” Frank said. “Come on. Let's go!”

Frank and Joe hurried back to the camp. Chet and Tony greeted the two bedraggled figures in astonishment.

“Do you always go swimming with all your clothes on?” Tony asked in jest.

“Only when we tangle with bears,” Frank replied and told of their close call. Chet grew pale.

“We found something on the way back,” Frank said, and displayed the knapsack and contents. “Have a look at this while we get some dry clothes.”

As the boys changed, Tony produced a map of the area from among his gear.

“This sketch doesn't jibe with any of the places on my map,” he reported.

“The jade carving doesn't add up, either,” Joe said thoughtfully. “Matter of fact, I've never heard of jade being found in Alaska. Have you?”

The others shook their heads. “It certainly doesn't look like any of the Indian carvings we saw in the museum,” Frank replied.

“If you ask me,” Chet said, “this knapsack could have been left there as a trap. I don't think you should have brought it back to camp. It certainly could mean another visit from our enemies!”

“It's possible,” Joe said, “but on the other hand, it might be a valuable clue!”

“How long do you think it had been lying there?” Tony asked, half inclined to agree with Chet.

Frank scrutinized the knapsack closely, turning it inside out and running his fingers over the material. “Not too long,” he finally replied. “See, the buckles aren't even rusty!”

Joe shrugged. “It still doesn't mean someone left it there on purpose for us to find.”

But Chet had grown very apprehensive by now. He looked around nervously. “I'll bet someone's spying on us right this minute!”

T
HEY
crouched quickly and glanced about. Then Frank broke into a grin. “Cut it out, Chet. Quit scaring us like that!”

“Just the same,” Joe declared seriously, “there might be something to what Chet says. I think we'd better tell Juneau about that knapsack.”

Tony cranked up the aerial of his radio, turned on the set, and spoke into the microphone. “Kooniak to Juneau!”

Presently a voice crackled: “Juneau to Kooniak. Over.”

Tony reported the finding of the knapsack. The department operator promised to inform the police by telephone and then to call back.

A few minutes later his voice came over the speaker. “The police say that no such loss has been reported. But our pilot will pick up the
knapsack for them when he flies out with the helicopter.”

“Okay, thanks,” Tony said. “Over and out.”

After a hearty supper the boys washed their mess kits and talked for a while around the campfire. When they were ready to retire, Chet seemed nervous.

“I still think we may get a return visit from that gang,” he insisted. “How about standing watch tonight?”

“Okay. That's not a bad idea,” Frank said. “Let's draw straws to pick our turns.”

Joe won the first assignment. Chet, Frank, and Tony would follow in that order. It was broad daylight through most of Joe's watch. Finally, yawning, he woke Chet.

As the plump youth took over, the birdcalls became hushed. The sky flamed red, then a deep brooding twilight settled over the pine forest.

“These woods are positively spooky at night!” Chet thought. Selecting a comfortable spot, he sat down under a tree. “No use getting nervous. I'd better think of something cheerful!”

Determinedly Chet concentrated on visions of himself salmon fishing—pulling in one silvery fish after another. This made him feel better.

Night deepened. Soon it was completely dark, except for the circle of light around the campfire. From across the river came the melancholy hoot of an owl.

Chet, lulled by the peacefulness of the night, settled himself more comfortably against the tree. “This isn't such a bad spot after all,” he thought drowsily. The next instant he sat bolt upright and a horrified yell escaped his lips. The Hardys and Tony awoke in a flash and came rushing out of their tents.