-:ConvertedbyFileMerlin:-THECLUEOFTHESCREECHINGOWLBYFRANKLINW.DIXONNo.41intheHardyBoysseries,Thisistheoriginal1962text.TheHardyBoysandChetareinthePoconoMountainstolocateMr.Hardy'smissingfriend,aretiredpolicecaptain,andsolvethemysteryofspookyBlackHollow.Asof2002,thisistheonlyversionofthisbook.TheHardyBoysseriesbyFranklinW.Dixon,thefirst58titles.Thefirstyearistheoriginalyear.Thesecondistheyearitwasrevised.01TheTowerTreasure1927,195902TheHouseontheCliff1927,195903TheSecretoftheOldMill1927,196204TheMissingChums1927,196205HuntingforHiddenGold1928,196306TheShoreRoadMystery1928,196407TheSecretoftheCaves1929,196508TheMysteryofCabinIsland1929,196609TheGreatAirportMystery1930,196510WhatHappenedatMidnight1931,196711WhiletheClockTicked1932,196212FootprintsUndertheWindow1933,196213TheMarkontheDoor1934,196714TheHiddenHarborMystery1935,196115TheSinisterSignPost1936,196816AFigureinHiding1937,196517TheSecretWarning1938,196618TheTwistedClaw1939,196419TheDisappearingFloor1940,196420TheMysteryoftheFlyingExpress1941,196821TheClueoftheBrokenBlade1942,196922TheFlickeringTorchMystery1943,17123TheMeltedCoins1944,197024TheShortWaveMystery1945,196625TheSecretPanel1946,196926ThePhantomFreighter1947,197027TheSecretofSkullMountain1948,196628TheSignoftheCrookedArrow1949,197029TheSecretoftheLostTunnel1950,196830TheWailingSirenMystery1951,196831TheSecretofWildcatSwamp1952,196932TheCrisscrossShadow1953,196933TheYellowFeatherMystery1953,197134TheHoodedHawkMystery1954,197135TheClueintheEmbers1955,197236TheSecretofPirates'Hill1956,197237TheGhostofSkeletonRock1957,196638TheMysteryatDevil'sPaw1959,197339TheMysteryoftheChineseJunk196040TheMysteryoftheDesertGiant196141TheClueoftheScreechingOwl196242TheVikingSymbolMystery1963

Page1

43TheMysteryoftheAztecWarrior196444TheHauntedFort196545TheMysteryoftheSpiralBridge196646TheSecretAgentonFlight101196747TheMysteryoftheWhaleTattoo196848TheArcticPatrolMystery196949TheBombayBoomerang197050DangerontheVampireTrail197151TheMaskedMonkey197252TheShatteredHelmet197353TheClueoftheHissingSerpent197454TheMysteriousCaravan197555TheWitch-Master'sKey197656TheJunglePyramid197757MysteryoftheFirebirdRocket197858StingoftheScorpion1979NEWYORKGROSSET&DUNLAPPublishers©BYGROSSET&DUNLAP,INC.,1962ALLRIGHTSRESERVEDPRINTEDINTHEUNITEDSTATESOFAMERICACONTENTSIPumaCharge!IIAMidnightScareIIIAnEerieTrailIVTheWindowlessCabinVAReluctantSheriffVIUnusualBaitVIITheHermitVIIIRockBarrageIXSettingaTrapXSketchofaThiefXITheTailor'sClueXIIChet'sRuseXIIIWorrisomeWatchingXIVFlashFireXVRaggedFootprintsXVITheFirstFindXVIIHelp!XVIIIAHarrowingRescueXIXPrisoners!XXTriumphantSleuthsCHAPTERIPumaCharge!"Summervacation!"ChetMortonexclaimed."NomoreschooluntilSeptember."Thestout,good-naturedboyloungedhalfasleepbetweenFrankandJoeHardyinthefrontseatofapowerfulyellowconvertible.Withasoftpurr,thecarmovedswiftlypastthecarefullytilledfieldsofthePennsylvaniaDutchfarmers.Dark-haired,eighteen-year-oldFrankHardywasatthewheel.Hekepthiseyes

Page2

uponthehighwaywhichwouldleadthemtothegreenbulkofthePoconoMountainslaterthatsunnyJuneafternoon.Meanwhile,hisblond-hairedyoungerbrotherJoesaid,"Thereusedtobewitchesaroundhere,Chet.Seethatsign?It'stowardthemoff."Hepointedtoabrightlypaintedcirculardesignonahugeredbarn.I2TheClueoftheScreechingOwlChetMortonhadopenedaneyeasthecarmovedpastthebarn."Whatisit?"heasked."Ahexsign,"Joetoldhim."Supposedtokeepofflightningandprotectthefarmagainstwitches.""Witches!"Theplumpboystraightenedup,lookingworried."Today?""Sure,"JoeHardywentonteasingly."Ifawitchputsaspellonyourcow,shewon'tgivemilk.Thosecircleskeepoffthecurse."NervouslyChetlookedatthenexttwobarns,attheblueskyabovehim,andthenonceallaroundhim."Aw,nobodybelievesinthatkindofstuffanymore.Thisisthetwentiethcentury.Stopkiddingme,willyou,fellows?Thisisavacation.AllI'mgoingtodoissleepandeat.Let'snothaveanymysteries!"Whiletheirfriendsettleddownandclosedhiseyesoncemore,FrankandJoeexchangedknowinggrins.Assonsoftheinternationallyfamousdetective,FentonHardy,theyhadmanytimesbeendrawnintobafflinganddangerousmysteries,wheretheirbrilliantsleuthinghadearnedthemfinereputationsoftheirown.EasygoingChetMorton,theHardys'bestfriend,alwaysseemedtobecomeinvolved."Well,Chet,"Franksaid,"youmayaswellknowthetruth.Thisisn'tjustacampingtrip.WehavetolookupDad'soldfriend,CaptainPumaCharge!3ThomasMaguire.He'slivinginacabinattheedgeofBlackHollow,somewhereinthosemountainsjustaheadofus.""CaptainMaguire?"repeatedthestoutboysuspiciously."Whatkindofcaptainishe?""Apolicecaptain-thatis,hewaschiefofpoliceuntilfiveorsixyearsago.He'sretirednow.""Iknewit!"Chetexploded."Ijustknewit!Anothermystery!Afellownosoonergetssettoenjoyanice,quietvacationthantheHardysdraghimintosomedetectivework."WhenthepoliceandtheHardysgettogether,itspellstrouble.TroubleforoldChetespecially.Allright-Imayaswellheartheworst.Whatisitthistime?""Well,"Frankanswered,"therehavebeensomefunnygoings-onaroundBlackHollow.CaptainMaguirewroteDad.Hedidn'tgiveanydetails,butaskedhimtocomeupandinvestigate.""Unfortunately,Dadcouldn'tmakeit,"Joetookupthestory."He'sbeenworkingwiththeNewJerseyStatePolice-notveryfarfromhere,infact-onanewhijackingracket.Amongotherthings,somebodyhasbeenstealingshipmentsofinstrumentsthatgointothenoseconesofguidedmissiles.They'retakenwhilebeingtruckedtotheassemblystation.""That'simportant,allright,"Chetagreed."Dadheardaboutourcampingtripandsug-4TheClueoftheScreechingOwlgestedwetakeitnearCaptainMaguire'scabin,"Frankfinished."Well,Chet-shallweturnback?"Joeneedled.HeandFrankknewthatunderneathhiscomplaints,theirfriendhadplentyofcourage-"andevenmorecuriosity."Isupposewecan'tcallitoffnow,"Chetmumbled."Allourfoodwouldgotowastel"ItwasmidafternoonwhentheprosperousvalleyofthePennsylvaniaDutch,lushwiththetendergreenofyoungcrops,hadbeenleftbehind.Theroadclimbedandcurvedupaheavilywoodedhill.Nowandthenthethickfoliageoneither