The Secret Warning facts for kids
Original edition
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| Author | Franklin W. Dixon |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Hardy Boys |
| Genre | Detective, mystery |
| Publisher | Grosset & Dunlap |
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Publication date
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June 1, 1938 |
| Media type | Print (hardback-(US, Canada, British Commonwealth) & paperback (never released in Canada or the US in this format)) |
| Pages | 192 pp |
| Preceded by | A Figure in Hiding |
| Followed by | The Twisted Claw |
The Secret Warning is the 17th book in the exciting The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories series. It was first published by Grosset & Dunlap.
This book is special because it has two different versions! The first story came out in 1938. Later, in 1966, the book was rewritten. This means you can read two completely different adventures with the same title!
Contents
The Mystery Begins
The story starts on a stormy night. The Hardy boys, Frank and Joe, get a visit from Captain Early. He tells them a spooky tale about a pirate named Red Rogers, also known as the 'Jolly Roger'. Captain Early says Red Rogers haunts Whalebone Island.
The very next day, the boys get a mysterious map in the mail. It shows a red 'X' right on Whalebone Island! They think it's a treasure map. So, they team up with their friend Chet Morton and head off to explore the island.
Whalebone Island Clues
As they get closer to Whalebone Island, they see an old, abandoned lighthouse. It's flashing a warning to them in Morse code! What could it mean?
On the island, they find their dad, Fenton Hardy, who is a famous detective. He tells them about a valuable solid gold statue. It's a bust of an Egyptian Pharaoh. This statue belonged to a man named Mr. Zufar.
The Sunken Ship
The golden Pharaoh statue was being shipped to America on a freighter called the Katawa. But the ship sank! Mr. Zufar is trying to get a lot of money from the insurance company, a million dollars!
However, the insurance company got a secret tip. They heard that the golden head was not on the ship when it sank. They think Mr. Zufar is trying to trick them.
Underwater Dangers
Frank and Joe end up on a salvage ship. This ship is sent to search the sunken Katawa, which is very close to Whalebone Island. While on board, they notice another salvage ship nearby.
A diver goes down to the sunken ship. He finds out that someone else has already been there! Some of the ship's equipment is missing. On a later dive, the diver almost gets hurt. A squid triggers a trap that was meant for him!
Solving the Puzzle
The boys leave the salvage ship when they hear that their dad has gone missing. They rush back to shore. They find their father and the missing Pharaoh's head!
It turns out Mr. Zufar had a sneaky plan. He wanted to sell the real golden head. At the same time, he wanted to collect the insurance money for the head he claimed had sunk.
In the end, the bad guys almost catch the Hardy boys. But then, the rival divers show up and save them! These divers had a secret too. They were looking for a U-boat that Captain Early had sunk during World War II.
The Hardy boys had helped these divers earlier. So, the divers wanted to give them a share of the treasure. They arrived just in time to help the boys out of trouble. The mystery is solved, but the boys discover that the money the other divers were after is actually fake!
