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HARDY BOYS #044 - THE HAUNTED FORT
FRANKLIN W DIXON
 
CHAPTER IScalp Warning
"CHET MORTON inviting us to a mystery-I don't believe it!" Blond seventeen-year-old Joe Hardysmiled as he and his brother bounded off the back steps toward the garage.Frank Hardy, dark-haired and a year older than Joe, eagerly keyed the car motor to life. Soon they wereheaded out of Bayport for the Morton farm. Dusk was falling."Chet seemed too excited to say much on the phone," Frank explained. "But he did mention there mightbe a vacation in it for us-and a haunted fort.""A haunted fort!"When the brothers pulled into the gravel driveway of the rambling, brown-and-white farmhouse, prettyIola Morton, Chet's sister, danced off the porch to greet them."Frank and Joe! What a surprise! You're just in time for our homemade hootenannyl""And I can play two chords!" Callie Shaw waved from the front doorway, a large guitar hanging from herneck. Callie, a slim blonde, was Frank's special friend, while vivacious Iola often dated Joe."It sounds great," Frank began, "but Chet called us over to-" He glanced suspiciously at Joe. "Say, doyou think these two got Chet to lure us over here about a mystery?""Of course not, sillies," dark-haired Iola protested, her eyes snapping. "Besides, who wants to talk aboutmurky old mysteries? Wait until you hear Callie's new ballad records."As the four entered the house, a round face beneath a coonskin cap peered from the kitchen. Then thestocky figure of Chet Morton made an entrance."Hi, Hardys! Anybody for a haunted vacation?""Chet! Then there really is a mystery?" Joe's face brightened as Chet nodded and motioned the brothersupstairs to his room. But not before the girls frowned disdainfully."Meanies!" Callie said. "Don't be forever!"As the Hardys took seats, Chet reclined on his bed and began, "My uncle Jim phoned late this afternoonfrom Crown Lake in New England. You know, he's chief painting instructor at a summer art schoolthere."Chet explained that the place, named Millwood, was sponsored by a millionaire for the benefit of talentedteen-agers."Sounds like a swell arrangement for aspiring artists," Frank remarked.
 
"Uncle Jim loves his job," Chet continued, "or at least he did before the painting thefts started.""You mean thefts of students' paintings?" Joe interrupted, puzzled."No. Something much more valuable. Uncle Jim didn't go into details, but he did mention somebodycalled the Prisoner-Painter. Two of his pictures have disappeared.""What about the local police?" Frank asked."They've already tried to solve the case. No luck. That's why Uncle Jim wants us to live at the school fora while.""How'd he know about us?" Joe put in."I mentioned you fellows in letters. 'Course, I didn't tell him any of the bad things about you- only thatyou were a couple of great detectives."Frank grinned and arced a slow-motion swing toward his teasing pal, but in a flash Chet was on his feet,twirling his coonskin cap. "I'm half-packed already." He brightened, a hopeful look in his eye. "Will youfellows come along?""Try and keep us away!" Joe exclaimed. He was as excited as Frank at the prospect of adventure.Both boys, sons of Bayport's famous detective, Fenton Hardy, had already tackled and solved manymysteries. From the baffling secret of The Tower Treasure to their most recent case, The Mystery of theAztec Warrior, the boys welcomed each new challenge. Chet, their loyal and close friend, thoughsometimes reluctant to sleuth with them, often proved to be of great help,"Chet," Frank added, "didn't you mention a haunted fort on the phone?""Oh that!" Chet groaned. "Yes, I did. Uncle Jim said something about an old French fort nearby, butmaybe it's not important. Gee, fellows, haunted places don't agree with me I""I don't know," Frank mused, winking at Joe. "I hear some ghosts are pretty well-fed. Think we couldintroduce Chet to one or two up at Crown Lake?"Chet could not repress a smile as the brothers chuckled, then patted him on the back. Suddenly theyheard a scream from the front porch."That's Callie!" Joe cried out.The three boys rushed downstairs. Iola stood trembling in the doorway. Callie, pale with fright, pointedto a hairy object on the lawn."What happened?" Frank asked in alarm.Callie said that a speeding black car had slowed in front of the house and somebody had tossed out theobject."It looks like-like a scalp!" Iola shuddered.The Hardys rushed out to the lawn and Frank knelt over the strange thing.It's a scalp!" Frank exclaimed
 
"It's a scalp all right-made of papier-machie! Looks pretty real with all this red paint."Joe picked it up. "There's a note attached!" He removed a small piece of paper from the underside.Frowning, he read the typewritten words aloud:" 'Use your heads, stay away from Crown Lake'""Did you get a look at the driver?" Frank asked, as Iola and Callie joined the boys."No, but I think it was an out-of-state license plate," Callie replied. "I thought he was just a litterbug untilI saw-that."The gruesome-looking object was made from black bristles of the sort used in paintbrushes. Frank turned to Chet and Joe. "What do you fellows make of it?"Joe shrugged. "Who would want to stop us from going to Crown Lake-and why?""Also," Chet added, "how did anybody even know we had been invited up to Crown Lake by myuncle?"The young people discussed the strange warning as the Hardys returned to their car, where Frank deposited the fake scalp."This grisly clue indicates one thing," Frank concluded. "Somebody wants us to stay away from MillwoodArt School! If that's where our 'scalper' is from, it might explain how he learned of Mr. Kenyon'sinvitation.""Speaking of invitations," Joe said, "what time do you want to leave tomorrow, Chet?""Leave!" Iola and Callie exclaimed."Sure." Frank grinned. "I've always been interested in Indian haircuts-that is, unless Chet wants to back out.""Me-back out?" Chet swallowed, then resolutely replaced the coonskin cap on his roundhead-backward. "Fur Nose Morton will pick you up tomorrow morning at ten sharp. Don't forget topack some warm duds!"The girls protested in vain. After making the boys promise not to be away for the whole summer, theywished them a safe and pleasant trip. As Frank drove the car down the drive, Joe leaned out thewindow."We'll take a rain check on that hootenanny, girls. See you in the morning, Chet!"Full of anticipation about their new mystery, the Hardys drove directly to their tree-shaded house at thecorner of High and Elm streets. After securing permission from their parents for the trip to Crown Lake,the excited boys spent the rest of the evening packing three large suitcases. Before retiring, they quicklyperused several school-books on the history of the Crown Lake region. It had been an area of conflictduring the French and Indian War."Here's a fort!" Joe remarked. "Senandaga! That may be the place Chet's uncle mentioned.According to this, Senandaga was an impressive stronghold, though it didn't play a large role in thecampaigns."
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