The Missing Chums Read Online Free

motorcycles. Suddenly they heard shouts and footfalls approaching along the pier.
    Omph! With stunning impact, Joe collided head-on with a running man.
    â€œLook out!” Frank shouted as strong arms grasped him.
    â€œHalt!” a voice ordered. “We’ve got you!” A whistle pierced the air. For a moment all was confusion. “Now—what’s going on here?” demanded the authoritative voice.
    â€œLet us go! Bank robbery! We need the Coast Guard!” Frank said, gasping.
    â€œWe are the Coast Guard,” replied the voice, and a flashlight shone through the fog. “Why, it’s the Hardy boys. Release them, men,” said Lieutenant Parker.
    â€œWe heard somebody shouting for police,” he added. “What’s this about bank robbers?”
    After Frank had explained, the officer said, “I’ll dispatch a cutter after the bandits right away.” Lieutenant Parker and his men raced off.
    Moments later, a police car sped onto the pier, its siren wailing and red top light blinking. It stopped and three uniformed men leaped out.
    â€œThere’s the car!” cried one of the men. Even in the heavy fog, Frank and Joe recognized him as the bank guard who had fired the shots after the fleeing robbers. “The crooks got into that car, and then these motorcycles raced off with them.”
    Suddenly he spotted Frank and Joe. “Those are the bodyguards who rode the motorcycles. Grab ’em!”
    A grim-faced policeman, gun in hand, ordered Frank and Joe to come forward. Apparently he and the officer with him were new members of Bayport’s police department, for the boys had never seen them before.
    â€œAll right, what do you two have to say about this?” the patrolman demanded. Again Frank told what had happened.
    The policeman turned to the guard. “Is that the way it was?”
    â€œYes—no—” the man stammered, highly excited. “The robbers had on hats and pea jackets. And they wore horrible-looking masks.”
    â€œLook at this!” called the second policeman, who had been examining the car and the motorcycles. He came over, holding up the gorilla face in one hand and the magician mask in the other. “These were in the carrier of that cycle. I guess we’ve got two members of the gang.”
    â€œNow wait a minute!” Joe began, but the wail of a siren cut him short.
    Two more police cars arrived and heavily armed men poured from both cruisers.
    The first officer to reach the group was Chief Collig. “We got your radio call!” he told the policemen briefly. “Any sign of the bank robbers?”
    â€œTwo of them—right here!” the man replied. He jerked a thumb at the Hardys.
    Joe stepped forward quickly into the beam of yellow fog light. “Hello, Chief!”
    â€œFrank! Joe!” Collig cried out in astonishment. “How did you get here?” He faced the startled rookies and said, “These boys are all right.”
    â€œBut,” one of the men protested, “according to the bank guard the thieves wore masks. And we found these on one of the cycles.” He handed Chief Collig the false faces.
    â€œYou’ll find four gallons of ice cream, too, Chief,” Frank put in. “We’re on our way to Callie Shaw’s masquerade party.”
    The chief laughed heartily, but quickly became serious again. “Any suspicion of these boys is nonsense. Now, what about the bank robbers?”
    Quickly Frank told him all that had happened.
    â€œI guess it was too foggy to see their getaway boat,” the chief said gloomily.
    â€œThat’s right,” Joe answered, “but from the sound of it, I’d say it was an open speedboat, with a powerful inboard motor.”
    There was the ringing of bells and the deep rumble of engines from the next pier.
    â€œThe Coast Guard is taking the cutter,” Frank said. “But even their powerful