"Dixon, Franklin W - Hardy Boys 037 - The Ghost At Skeleton Rock (Original)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dixon Franklin W)

He was clutching Hugo in one hand. "Look! He's still here!" Chet gloated. "I had
him stowed in my closet, inside a pillowcase, and those men passed it up!"
The boys let out a whoop of triumph. Then Joe put in a wry afterthought:
"Now all we have to do is find out why those thieves were so eager to get hold
of Hugo."
While Frank telephoned a report to Chief Collig, Iola made hot cocoa for
everyone. As they sat in the living room drinking it, Chet gulped down three
cupfuls. Then he laid his cup and saucer aside and picked up Hugo.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen," the young ventriloquist announced, "we'll
forget what happened and have a quick performance to show you what's to come
later on my full-time television show!"
He set the dummy on his knee and proceeded to roll its huge popeyes from side to
side. Then, as he manipulated Hugo's head and jaws, Chet went into his act. Many
of his gags drew laughs from his audience.
Gaining confidence, Chet launched into a long, windy speech—at the same time
working Hugo's head, arms, and legs in a wildly comical manner. Leaning forward
with excitement, Chet grinned at his amused audience and perched the dummy on
the edge of his knee.
Suddenly he jerked Hugo's limbs a bit too hard. The dummy slid off his knee and
crashed to the floor, face down, amid a sound of shattering glass!
Chet went white. "Hugo!" he wailed mournfully. "I've ruined you!"
Frank and Joe rushed forward to assay the damage. "Don't worry," Joe consoled
his friend. "It's not too bad."
"Those big, beautiful eyes—they're broken!" Chet groaned, kneeling on the floor.
"You can probably get new ones," Frank assured him. Cautiously he started
picking up the glassy slivers and fragments. "Gosh," he remarked, "those eyes
were even bigger than I— Oh, oh!"
"What's the matter?" asked Joe as Frank broke off with a gasp of amazement.
"This stuff isn't glass—at least not all of it."
"Then what is it?" asked Chet.
Frank's voice quivered with excitement. "This may sound crazy, but I think some
of these pieces are uncut diamonds!"
"What!" Everyone in the room jumped up in astonishment and clustered around
Frank.
"D-did you say diamonds?" Chet stuttered.
"That's what they look like." Frank held up some of the stones, which resembled
tiny, greasy pebbles.
"Are you sure?" Iola asked. "They don't sparkle much!"
"Rough stones look this way before they're cut," Frank explained. "At least
that's what I've read. What do you think, Joe?"
His brother nodded. "I think you're right. And that explains the burglaries. No
wonder those men were so eager to grab Hugo!"
Picking up the dummy in one hand, Joe borrowed a bobby pin from Iola and began
probing into the hollow eye shells. Several more uncut diamonds came tumbling
out.
"I can't believe it!" Chet exclaimed. "Any more of them?"
"No, but here's something else."
Joe extracted a tiny, rolled-up wad of paper. When spread open, it revealed a
strange printed notation:
Skeleton Rock 176