Free The Mummy Case by Franklin W. Dixon Page A

inside and Reggie has finished fixing the brakes!”
    They ran toward the blue vehicle. Just as Frank climbed behind the wheel, he heard voices in the distance. The gang was coming back!
    Frantically he started the car. The engine came to life and with a roar the young detective drove off, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust behind. Just before turning down the mountainside, he gingerly tested the brakes. They worked!
    â€œThank goodness!” Joe exclaimed. “If we had to drive off that road again, we might land in the middle of the rebels for a second time. Where are we going?”
    â€œTo the embassy,” Frank replied. On the way, he gave his brother a terse account of how he had outsmarted the criminals.
    â€œBoy, am I glad we had those emergency kits,” Joe said. “I tried to reach mine, but they tied me up so efficiently that it was impossible. You were lucky you could use yours.”
    Soon they reached their destination and parked the van in the lot. Then they rushed to the gate and identified themselves. They were ushered into the ambassador’s office, where Fenton Hardy was briefing Mr. Compton about a meeting he had had with an official of a friendly nation.
    â€œI learned that the spy in the embassy is a Rubas san,” he declared. “But I still don’t know who he is.”
    â€œWe do!” Frank remarked. Quickly he and Joe told everything they had discovered.
    â€œExcellent work!” Mr. Hardy said and smiled proudly at his sons. “Now I’ll take it from here.” He picked up the phone and called the Rubassa Secret Service. After a brief conversation, he declared, “Colonel Palos and his men are on their way to Reggie Watson’s house. They’ll pick us up in five minutes.”
    Palos was at the wheel of the lead car. Mr. Hardy sat beside him while Frank and Joe occupied the back seat. Only Ambassador Compton remained behind as the group raced through Loma.
    They came to a screeching halt in front of the Englishman’s home and rushed up the steps. The front door was unlocked and the house appeared empty. Joe led the way through the kitchen and into the basement.
    The door to the secret room was open, swinging on its hinges from the force of a breeze blowing through the cellar window. They peered inside and stared in dismay.
    The illegal weapons were gone!

11
    Wet Guns
    â€œThe gang escaped with the weapons!” Palos said grimly. “We’ll have to resume the search.”
    â€œWhy not go to the Beacon, Colonel?” Joe asked. “Even if we don’t find the rebels there, they may have left a clue.”
    Palos nodded. “You may be right. It’s worth a try. ”
    They drove to the lighthouse, but found only some clothes left behind in the gang’s hurried departure. Secret Service agents combed through their belongings, but came up with nothing.
    â€œNo luck,” Palos said in disgust. “We might as well head back for Loma.”
    The colonel dropped Mr. Hardy and the boys at the American Embassy, where they reported to Mr. Compton and told him about their futile search.
    â€œWe’re back where we started,” Fenton Hardy admitted.
    â€œWhere do we go from here?” the ambassador asked anxiously. “We have to find the gang and the arms before they seize the government!”
    An idea struck Frank. “We know the weapons came to Rubassa by way of Milbin Island. Suppose Joe and I go over there tomorrow and see if we can pick up the trail?”
    The two men looked at one another, then nodded. “Be careful,” Mr. Hardy warned. “You can enter Milbin with your United States passports. However, a dictator runs the island and you’ll be kept under surveillance by his secret police.”
    â€œUnderstood,” Joe said. “We won’t tangle with those guys.”
    Dusk was falling. The Hardys had dinner and spent the night at the embassy. Early next morning