The Clue of the Hissing Serpent by Franklin W. Dixon Page A

better be fast about it or Ming Do will get it.”
    Mr. Hardy looked puzzled, and the boys clued him in on their adventure in the woods, the cable they had found, and Mrs. King’s information on the old chess piece.
    Mr. Hardy was thoughtful for a while, then he said, “The most logical way of transporting an item like that would be by sea. Perhaps there’s a ship in the harbor named Queen!”
    â€œLet’s go home and call the harbor master,” Frank urged, and stood up.
    Mr. Hardy paid the bill and soon they were on their way. It was dark when they turned into Elm Street and they were surprised to see their security spotlights casting a dazzling glow all around the house.
    â€œOh, oh, something’s happened,” Joe said as Frank drove toward the garage. An alarm bell was ringing.
    â€œSomething’s definitely wrong,” Frank said.
    All three jumped out of their cars and raced inside. Joe shut off the electronic alarm system, then followed his father and Frank into the living room, where Mrs. Hardy and Aunt Gertrude rose to meet them.
    â€œLaura, what’s the matter?” Mr. Hardy asked.
    â€œWe’re a little frightened, Fenton.”
    â€œI’m scared to death!” Aunt Gertrude said. “It’s on account of those terrible criminals.”
    â€œEasy,” Frank said. “Just tell us from the beginning.”
    â€œWe received a package!” Aunt Gertrude pointed to a cardboard shoe box lying on the coffee table. Frank went to open it.
    â€œDon’t touch it! You’ll get bitten!”
    â€œBy what?”
    â€œA snake! A big venomous snake!” Gertrude Hardy cried.
    Mrs. Hardy spoke up. “It’s not really big, and I don’t think it’s poisonous. But you never can tell.”
    â€œHow’d you get it?” Joe asked.
    Mrs. Hardy said it was delivered to the door shortly after dark. “We jumped out of our skin when we opened it,” she concluded.
    Frank set the box on the floor and took the lid off. Inside lay a small garter snake. He picked it up and it crawled over his hand and up his left arm. “I’ll take it out in the yard,” he said.
    â€œNo doubt it was a warning from the serpent gang,” Mr. Hardy said.
    â€œFenton, you’d better drop this case while we’re still healthy!” his sister implored him.
    â€œIf I dropped my cases because of threats, I’d soon be out of business,” Mr. Hardy said. “But let’s turn the alarm system on again, just to be on the safe side.”
    â€œNow that the Serpents have the Ruby King, why are they still bothering us?” Frank asked.
    â€œThey know we’ll keep after them and might nail them yet,” Joe said.
    Mr. Hardy put in a call to the harbor master’s office. “They’ll check and let us know,” he told his sons after he had finished.
    The next morning during breakfast the phone rang. Frank took it, listened tensely for a few seconds, then hung up.
    â€œGuess what!” he said. “There’s a Japanese ship in the harbor that’s due to sail day after tomorrow at midnight.”
    â€œWhere to?” Joe asked.
    â€œHong Kong. And her name’s Queen Maru!”

CHAPTER XV
    Faked Out!
    â€œTHAT’S the Queen mentioned in the cablegram!” Joe exclaimed. “It has to be!”
    Frank was skeptical. “I doubt that the Serpents would be that obvious about it.”
    â€œI’m convinced,” Joe said. “I’ll bet that Fong and Eggleby are still in the area and they plan to ship the Ruby King on the Queen Maru.”
    â€œIt’s a strong possibility,” Mr. Hardy agreed. “Better drive down to the harbor and take a look at the Queen Maru.”
    Before the boys left, the phone rang again. It was Conrad Greene’s father. He told Joe that his son was still on the chess exhibition tour. “He’s due to play in Bayport tomorrow