"Dixon, Franklin W - Hardy Boys 043 - The Mystery Of The Aztec Warrior" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dixon Franklin W)

The Hardys examined the dagger eagerly. The blade was made of stone and very sharp, with a wooden handle carved in the form of an Aztec warrior's head. The whole thing measured about fifteen inches.

"This is great, Chet!" said Joe. "Where on earth did you . . . ?"

The door to their room suddenly burst open. Two men raced in and one cried, "Give me that!"

Wayne's kidnapper and the phoney detective!

The kidnapper wrenched the weapon from Frank's hand and the two intruders backed towards the door.

"You can't get away with this!" Frank warned. "We know who you are!"

"You think so!" said the man with the dagger.

"You're Jack Wayne's kidnapper!" exclaimed Joe. He turned to the other man. "And you're the fake detective who got into our taxi in Mexico City!"

The accused men gave a start but made no move to hand over the dagger. Instead, the kidnapper held it pointed menacingly towards the boys until the men were in the hall. AS he pulled the door shut, the "detective" warned, "Don't try to follow us or you'll get hurt!"

The Hardys disregarded the threat. Frank whipped open the door and the three young sleuths dashed down the corridor after the fleeing men. The thieves took a back staircase which the boys had not noticed before. Grabbing the banister, they leaped down two and three steps at a time. But even at this speed, the men they were after were quicker. The pair dashed out into a courtyard. Here they were lost to view amid dense flowering shrubs and trees.

Frank, in the lead, finally spotted the men heading for an open gate to a side street. It was part of an iron picket fence.

"Stop them!" Joe shouted.

Near the gate stood a tall earthenware jar. As Frank drew closer to the men, the kidnapper upended the jar and rolled it directly towards the boy.

Though he, Joe, and Chet managed to leap over it, the momentary delay had been costly. The men had disappeared down the side street. Their pursuers made a thorough search but could not locate the thieves.

"Tough luck!" said Joe in disgust.

"All my work for nothing!" Chet complained.

Frank said he would report the incident to the police at once, then he wanted to hear the full story of the dagger from Chet. Ten minutes later they found a quiet table in the hotel diningroom where they could talk in private.

"You wouldn't use my Aztec costume," Chet began, "but I thought maybe this dagger would help you. When I was in the costume store, I admired some carvings and got the name of the man who had done them. He lives here in Oaxaca. I went over to his shop later this morning and told him what I wanted. He said he wasn't busy and would make it for me cheap. I thought he'd only carve the head, and I'd have to hunt for the blade myself. But he had an old stone blade that he was going to put a handle on when he had a chance. So he let me have it."

Frank asked, "What made those thieves think it was the real thing? And how'd they find out you were bringing it?"

Joe answered, "I believe we're being shadowed. Those men were listening outside the door. From what little they heard of the conversation they assumed we bad the valuable object and took it."

He was interrupted by the waitress. The boys glanced at the menu. "What are chalutas?" Joe asked.

She explained that they were small tortillas folded over chicken, with peas, carrots, lettuce, tomato, and then fried.

"That's for me," said Chet. "And I'll have some hot chocolate with cinnamon," he added, smacking his lips.

"Make it three," Joe added with a grin. After the waitress had left, Chet continued his story. "It was really great watching that wood carver. Boy, was he fast! I thought maybe I wouldn't have the dagger until tomorrow." Chet heaved a great sigh. "And now I don't have it at all!"

"Never mind," said Joe. "Let's be glad it wasn't the real object Mr Moore mentioned in his will. But if those thieves think it is, maybe they'll leave us alone."