voice.
"Lindy isn't with me, but I know where she is. Don't ask questions now. I'll explain when I see you. It's imperative that you come over right away."
'What about Ethel? What shall I tell her?"
"Say that I invited you over for a very early breakfast. Be careful and get out of the house before she realizes Lindy isn't with you. Don't panic now, but hurry."
A half hour later, the boys jumped off their bicycles and ran up the steps to the professor's front door. He was waiting for them, his face pale and angry-looking.
"You got here quickly. Come with me."
"Where is Lindy?" Ben asked as they followed him into the house.
"She's in Whangdoodleland."
"What!"
"You're kidding!"
"I'm afraid I am not kidding," the professor said bitterly. He strode up and down the room. "That miserable Prock. That cunning, devious demon. Apparently, late last night, Lindy received a visit from a creature called the High-Behind Splintercat, a devastating animal; seductive and as smooth-talking as you please. She must have had her sympathetic hat with her. . . ."
"She did," interrupted Tom. "She showed it to us last night."
"Yes, well, I only discovered it was missing this morning. She must have forgotten to give it to me, or maybe the Prock stole it."
"How do you know all this?" asked Ben.
"I had a visit from the Prock just before you telephoned. That smug devil was so pleased with himself, I could cheerfully have punched him in the nose. The thing that makes me angriest of all is that if I'd had an ounce of sense yesterday, I'd have realized what the Prock was up to."
"What do you mean?" Tom was puzzled.
"Well, the whole journey in The Jolly Boat—the wonderful afternoon and the fun we had—was all designed to lull us into a false sense of security. Lindy had such a good time that she completely forgot her fears. By the time the Splintercat finished his charming act, Lindy was more than willing to go with him. Now I understand what the Whiffle Bird was trying to tell us. We were being taken for a ride, and I was just too stupid to see that it was all part of the Prock's evil plan."
Ben was furious. "You know, kidnapping is a crime."
'What are they going to do with Lindy?" Tom asked with concern. "She must be really scared."
"I don't think so," said the professor. "The Prock informed me that she is happy and will be well taken care of. He will release her when I promise on my honor to give up trying to reach the Whangdoodle. I have until tomorrow morning to give him my decision. Of course, I'll agree to his terms."
"You mean, we have to give up the whole adventure?" Ben said in a horrified voice.
"I'm afraid so."
"But why?" cried Tom. "Why not just call the Prock's bluff? I'm sure he wouldn't do anything to hurt Lindy. You said yourself that all the creatures in Whangdoodleland are peace-loving."
"Yes, Tom. But I sense that the Prock's getting desperate. Remember he feels that Whangdoodleland is in great danger. With so much at stake, he might not harm Lindy, but he could keep her there indefinitely."
"But there must be something we can do," said Tom desperately. "It just turns me inside out to think that the Prock has won—and we'll never get to see the Whangdoodle."
"Wait a minute." Ben looked up suddenly. "You don't have to give the Prock an answer before tomorrow. Right, Professor?"
"That's right."
"Then why don't we just go and try to rescue Lindy now, while we've still got time?"
"What a great idea!" Tom said excitedly. "We could sneak in and get her out of Whangdoodleland before the Prock knew anything about it. He'd never expect us to do something like that."
"Hold on, hold on," the professor said. "I'm not sure that's wise. The Prock could capture us, too. Then where would we be?"
"It is a risk," agreed Ben. "But we could be extra careful. I'll bet the Whiffle Bird would help us."
"Oh, go on, Professor. Say we can do it," urged Tom. "This is the one chance we have to put things right. Then we could still
"Lindy isn't with me, but I know where she is. Don't ask questions now. I'll explain when I see you. It's imperative that you come over right away."
'What about Ethel? What shall I tell her?"
"Say that I invited you over for a very early breakfast. Be careful and get out of the house before she realizes Lindy isn't with you. Don't panic now, but hurry."
A half hour later, the boys jumped off their bicycles and ran up the steps to the professor's front door. He was waiting for them, his face pale and angry-looking.
"You got here quickly. Come with me."
"Where is Lindy?" Ben asked as they followed him into the house.
"She's in Whangdoodleland."
"What!"
"You're kidding!"
"I'm afraid I am not kidding," the professor said bitterly. He strode up and down the room. "That miserable Prock. That cunning, devious demon. Apparently, late last night, Lindy received a visit from a creature called the High-Behind Splintercat, a devastating animal; seductive and as smooth-talking as you please. She must have had her sympathetic hat with her. . . ."
"She did," interrupted Tom. "She showed it to us last night."
"Yes, well, I only discovered it was missing this morning. She must have forgotten to give it to me, or maybe the Prock stole it."
"How do you know all this?" asked Ben.
"I had a visit from the Prock just before you telephoned. That smug devil was so pleased with himself, I could cheerfully have punched him in the nose. The thing that makes me angriest of all is that if I'd had an ounce of sense yesterday, I'd have realized what the Prock was up to."
"What do you mean?" Tom was puzzled.
"Well, the whole journey in The Jolly Boat—the wonderful afternoon and the fun we had—was all designed to lull us into a false sense of security. Lindy had such a good time that she completely forgot her fears. By the time the Splintercat finished his charming act, Lindy was more than willing to go with him. Now I understand what the Whiffle Bird was trying to tell us. We were being taken for a ride, and I was just too stupid to see that it was all part of the Prock's evil plan."
Ben was furious. "You know, kidnapping is a crime."
'What are they going to do with Lindy?" Tom asked with concern. "She must be really scared."
"I don't think so," said the professor. "The Prock informed me that she is happy and will be well taken care of. He will release her when I promise on my honor to give up trying to reach the Whangdoodle. I have until tomorrow morning to give him my decision. Of course, I'll agree to his terms."
"You mean, we have to give up the whole adventure?" Ben said in a horrified voice.
"I'm afraid so."
"But why?" cried Tom. "Why not just call the Prock's bluff? I'm sure he wouldn't do anything to hurt Lindy. You said yourself that all the creatures in Whangdoodleland are peace-loving."
"Yes, Tom. But I sense that the Prock's getting desperate. Remember he feels that Whangdoodleland is in great danger. With so much at stake, he might not harm Lindy, but he could keep her there indefinitely."
"But there must be something we can do," said Tom desperately. "It just turns me inside out to think that the Prock has won—and we'll never get to see the Whangdoodle."
"Wait a minute." Ben looked up suddenly. "You don't have to give the Prock an answer before tomorrow. Right, Professor?"
"That's right."
"Then why don't we just go and try to rescue Lindy now, while we've still got time?"
"What a great idea!" Tom said excitedly. "We could sneak in and get her out of Whangdoodleland before the Prock knew anything about it. He'd never expect us to do something like that."
"Hold on, hold on," the professor said. "I'm not sure that's wise. The Prock could capture us, too. Then where would we be?"
"It is a risk," agreed Ben. "But we could be extra careful. I'll bet the Whiffle Bird would help us."
"Oh, go on, Professor. Say we can do it," urged Tom. "This is the one chance we have to put things right. Then we could still
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