Danger on Vampire Trail Read Free Page B

and jumped into the car which the boys had noticed before. Seconds later he roared off.
    The Hardys were stunned by the painful wallop, but they recovered quickly. Joe dashed to the phone to call the police, while Frank ran outside with Phil. Although too late to stop the swindler, they got the license number of the getaway car.
    The shopkeeper, meanwhile, was bemoaning the loss of the antique rifle. “You’d think if he’s rich enough to have a Magnacard, he’d pay for the merchandise!” he said.
    Joe told him that the credit card was probably a fake and briefly explained about the counterfeit operation.
    â€œI won’t accept any more of those Magnacards,” the man said as Frank scoured the shop for possible clues.
    â€œLook at this!” Frank exclaimed. He bent down to pick up a loafer-type shoe which apparently had fallen off as the fugitive ran out. The quality of the leather and the workmanship were superb. The label read: Mountain Dogies.
    â€œEvidently our crook buys nothing but the best,” Joe remarked.
    â€œDid you ever hear of this brand?” Phil asked.
    â€œNo, but we can check it out,” Frank replied.
    Two policemen arrived a few minutes later. The boys reported all they knew, then followed the officers back to headquarters where they talked with Chief Collig.
    The swindler’s license number was quickly checked out. It proved to be that of a car stolen the day before from a Bayport parking lot.
    â€œAnd here’s the shoe the fellow lost,” Frank said. “There might be fingerprints on the shiny part of the leather, Chief.”
    The department’s fingerprint expert was called. He lifted several prints, and Collig dispatched them immediately to the FBI via wirephoto. The Hardys thanked Phil for his good detective work, then went home to take hot baths to relieve their bruised ribs.
    Early the next morning Collig phoned. “We know the identity of that swindler,” he told Frank. “Thanks to the fingerprints on his shoe.”
    â€œWho is he, Chief?”
    â€œArchibald Lasher. His nickname is Whip.”
    Collig ticked off Whip Lasher’s record. “It includes several bunco raps, mail fraud, and automobile thefts.”
    â€œBut here’s something interesting in his profile,” the chief went on. “He’s a great outdoors-man—very fond of camping. And he’s a practical joker.”
    â€œCould you send us a copy of his dossier?” Frank asked. The chief promised he would and hung up.
    â€œWell, Dad,” Frank said, after relaying Collig’s information to his father and Joe, “what do you think Lasher will do next?”
    â€œMy guess is that he’ll lie low for a while.”
    â€œDo you still want us to go west?” asked Joe.
    â€œCertainly. Lasher is only one of the gang. Besides, I wouldn’t be surprised if he headed west right away.”
    Then the detective proposed lending the boys money to put a down payment on Chet’s ill-fated camper.
    â€œThat would be great, Dad!” Joe said, and immediately phoned the good news to Chet and Biff.
    Next day Frank, Joe, and Chet made arrangements with Mr. Browning to purchase the trailer tent. The dealer cut the price drastically and allowed plenty of time to complete payment.
    Before returning home, the Hardys went to police headquarters and talked to Collig. He told the boys that Mountain Dogies shoes were sold exclusively in the huge Mountain Dogie sporting goods store in Denver.
    â€œAll clues point west,” Frank mused. “Could we have the inner sole of that shoe, Chief?”
    â€œI don’t see why not,” Collig replied. “What are you going to do with it?”
    â€œGive Lasher a hot-foot!” Frank joked.
    The chief had one of his men cut out the inner sole and handed it to Frank.
    â€œHope it helps,” Collig said. “When are you leaving?”
    â€œTomorrow