The Secret Warning
Encyclopedia
The Secret Warning is Volume 17 in the original The Hardy Boys
Mystery Stories published by Grosset & Dunlap
.
This book was written for the Stratemeyer Syndicate
in collaboration by John Button and Leslie McFarlane in 1938. Between 1959 and 1973 the first 38 volumes of this series were systematically revised as part of a project directed by Harriet Adams, Edward Stratemeyer's daughter. The original version of this book was rewritten in 1966 by James D. Lawrence resulting in two different stories with the same title.
’, and Whalebone Island, where he is said to haunt. The next day the boys receive a map in the mail showing a red X on Whalebone Island. They assume this is a treasure map so they, along with their friend Chet Morton
go to meet their father and explore the island. As they approach they see the abandoned lighthouse
is flashing a warning to them in Morse code
. On the island they find their father who tells them about a solid gold bust of an Egyptian Pharaoh
which was owned by Mr. Zufar. While it was being shipped to America aboard a freighter
named Katawa the ship sank and Mr. Zufar is making an insurance claim for one million dollars; however, the insurance company has received a tip that the head was not on the ship when it sank and Mr. Zufar is trying to defraud them.
The Hardy boys end up on the salvage ship
that is sent to search the Katawa, which happens to be sunk very close to Whalebone Island. While they are onboard, they notice another salvage ship in the area as well. Once the diver is lowered to the sunken ship he finds that someone else has already been there and stolen some of the ship’s equipment. On a later dive the diver is nearly killed when a squid triggers a booby trap that was intended for him.
The boys leave the salvage ship when they receive notice that their father has gone missing. They return to shore and locate their father and the missing Pharoah’s head and put a stop to a plan by Mr. Zufar to sell the real head while also collecting the insurance for the head which was supposedly sunken.
After retrieving the notes, the boys stick around to help Perry raise a yacht belonging to a wealthy businessman. In the process, they become entangled in Perry's bitter feud with another diver, Gus Kuntz, the unscrupulous owner of a rival diving company. Kuntz employs the thugs Bock and Simon, and repeatedly tries to sabotage Perry's diving operations, putting Perry's and the boys' lives at risk. Mysterious notes left at the Hardys' hotel serve as the eponymous secret warnings, foretelling misfortune, but the boys are undaunted.
At length the yacht is raised, and Perry moves on to his next job: searching for treasure in the sunken ocean liner Katawa off of Reed's Point. They enlist the aid of eager photographer and inventor Earl Chipsley and his remarkable underwater X-ray motion picture camera. But the second mate of the Katawa, Clark Hornblow, institutionalized after having gone mad at the time of the wreck, insists the riches are elsewhere, having been stolen by other officers using a lifeboat. What's more, Kuntz and his henchmen will stop at nothing to claim the gold and diamonds for themselves. The Hardys are beset by dangers above and below the surface of the sea as they attempt to secure the Katawas fantastic treasure.
The Hardy Boys
The Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional teenage brothers and amateur detectives who appear in various mystery series for children and teens....
Mystery Stories published by Grosset & Dunlap
Grosset & Dunlap
Grosset & Dunlap is a United States book publisher founded in 1898.The company was purchased by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1982 and today is part of the British publishing conglomerate, Pearson PLC through its American subsidiary Penguin Group....
.
This book was written for the Stratemeyer Syndicate
Stratemeyer Syndicate
The Stratemeyer Syndicate was the producer of a number of mystery series for children, including Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the various Tom Swift series, the Bobbsey Twins, the Rover Boys, and others.- History :...
in collaboration by John Button and Leslie McFarlane in 1938. Between 1959 and 1973 the first 38 volumes of this series were systematically revised as part of a project directed by Harriet Adams, Edward Stratemeyer's daughter. The original version of this book was rewritten in 1966 by James D. Lawrence resulting in two different stories with the same title.
Plot summary (revised edition)
On a stormy night the Hardy boys receive a visit from Captain Early who tells them the story of Red Rogers, the ‘Jolly RogerJolly Roger
The Jolly Roger is any of various flags flown to identify a ship's crew as pirates. The flag most commonly identified as the Jolly Roger today is the skull and crossbones, a flag consisting of a human skull above two long bones set in an x-mark arrangement on a black field. This design was used by...
’, and Whalebone Island, where he is said to haunt. The next day the boys receive a map in the mail showing a red X on Whalebone Island. They assume this is a treasure map so they, along with their friend Chet Morton
Chet Morton
Chet Morton is a fictional character in the The Hardy Boys book series by Franklin W. Dixon.-Fictional history:Chet grew up with Frank and Joe Hardy and has been one of their best friends since second grade. He usually says he doesn't want to have anything to do with the Hardy boys' mysteries,...
go to meet their father and explore the island. As they approach they see the abandoned lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
is flashing a warning to them in Morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
. On the island they find their father who tells them about a solid gold bust of an Egyptian Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
which was owned by Mr. Zufar. While it was being shipped to America aboard a freighter
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
named Katawa the ship sank and Mr. Zufar is making an insurance claim for one million dollars; however, the insurance company has received a tip that the head was not on the ship when it sank and Mr. Zufar is trying to defraud them.
The Hardy boys end up on the salvage ship
Salvage tug
A salvage tug is a specialized type of tugboat which is used to rescue or marine salvage ships which are in distress or in danger of sinking, or which have already sunk or run aground....
that is sent to search the Katawa, which happens to be sunk very close to Whalebone Island. While they are onboard, they notice another salvage ship in the area as well. Once the diver is lowered to the sunken ship he finds that someone else has already been there and stolen some of the ship’s equipment. On a later dive the diver is nearly killed when a squid triggers a booby trap that was intended for him.
The boys leave the salvage ship when they receive notice that their father has gone missing. They return to shore and locate their father and the missing Pharoah’s head and put a stop to a plan by Mr. Zufar to sell the real head while also collecting the insurance for the head which was supposedly sunken.
Plot summary (original edition)
The Hardy Boys meet up with a professional diver by the name of Roland Perry, who is employed by the Crux Brothers diving company. After the boys rescue Perry from a mishap on the water, they loan him one of their father's suits, and Perry heads off to his next job at nearby Bailey's Landing. But the suit happened to contain important notes for the case that the elder Hardy was working on, so he sends the boys to retrieve them. Along the way, they run afoul of two thugs, Bock and Simon.After retrieving the notes, the boys stick around to help Perry raise a yacht belonging to a wealthy businessman. In the process, they become entangled in Perry's bitter feud with another diver, Gus Kuntz, the unscrupulous owner of a rival diving company. Kuntz employs the thugs Bock and Simon, and repeatedly tries to sabotage Perry's diving operations, putting Perry's and the boys' lives at risk. Mysterious notes left at the Hardys' hotel serve as the eponymous secret warnings, foretelling misfortune, but the boys are undaunted.
At length the yacht is raised, and Perry moves on to his next job: searching for treasure in the sunken ocean liner Katawa off of Reed's Point. They enlist the aid of eager photographer and inventor Earl Chipsley and his remarkable underwater X-ray motion picture camera. But the second mate of the Katawa, Clark Hornblow, institutionalized after having gone mad at the time of the wreck, insists the riches are elsewhere, having been stolen by other officers using a lifeboat. What's more, Kuntz and his henchmen will stop at nothing to claim the gold and diamonds for themselves. The Hardys are beset by dangers above and below the surface of the sea as they attempt to secure the Katawas fantastic treasure.