The Mystery of the Ghostly Galeon

Jackson.
    “I think I know who the other man is,” Trixie murmured, “but it would help a lot if you could identify him.”
    Mr. Trask was unable to help her. He said he hadn’t seen anyone at all.
    Honey couldn’t help smiling. “I expect the kidnappers were hoping to transfer their prisoner somewhere else,” she remarked. “But what with all the excitement around here last night, we didn’t give them the chance.”
    Soon Mr. Trask felt well enough to move. “So some people think I don’t have the money to pay back my loan, eh?” he said at last. “But let me tell you, me hearties—I do! And it’s in a safe place.”
    Trixie helped him to his feet. “I don’t want to hurry you,” she said, “but it’s almost seven o’clock. Mr. Morgan will be waiting for you.” Honey, remembering, gasped. “Jeepers! And if
    we don’t get there pretty fast, Miss Trask will hand over the deed to Pirate’s Inn.”
    “What’s that you say?” Mr. Trask roared. “No one’s going to hand over anything! Quickly, ladies, we’ve got to get to the inn at once!”
    Impetuously, he raced toward the head of the gangway.
    “Oh, Mr. Trask, be careful!” Trixie cried.
    It was too late!
    In the next moment, as the girls watched, unbelieving, disaster struck. He tripped over a workman’s toolbox left carelessly in the middle of the deck. As Smiley Jackson had done minutes before, he tried and failed to regain his balance.
    Then, before the girls could take even one step to help him, he fell heavily to the deck and lay quite still.

A Villain Unmasked • 19

    GLEEPS!” Trixie cried. “He knocked himself out!” Honey dropped to her knees beside the unconscious man. “Oh, Trixie,” she whimpered, “what are we going to do? I thought we’d won. In another few minutes, we’d have been at the inn. But now the Trasks are going to lose everything they own!”
    “Wait!” Trixie said excitedly. “I’ve just had an idea. Honey, will you stay here while I run for help?”
    “Of course I will,” her friend answered at once. “But it’s too late to save Pirate’s Inn. Even Brian can’t revive Mr. Trask in time. And we don’t know where he’s hidden the money, anyway. Oh, why did this have to happen now?”
    Trixie was already picking her way across the deck. In no time at all, she was racing along the jetty. When she had almost reached the inn, she looked up at the windows on the second floor. In another instant, she was sounding the Bob-Whites’ secret call for help. Bob, bob-white.Bob, bob-white.
    A window flew open immediately. Trixie could almost have fainted with relief when she saw Mart’s blond head gazing down at her. In an emergency, Trixie knew there was no one else she would rather have by her side—unless it was Jim.
    My almost-twin and I are alike in so many ways, she told herself. Maybe that's why we're always arguing. She made up her mind right then to be more patient when he teased her.
    She wondered if this weekend had also taught Miss Trask a lesson. Trixie suspected that she, too, had discovered that a brother was often a pretty nice person to have around.
    Breathlessly, Trixie explained to Mart all that had happened. He didn’t need to be told twice how serious the situation was.
    Moments later, the rest of the Bob-Whites had gathered to listen to Trixie’s plan. Then, as they were talking, they saw Mr. Morgan’s shiny black limousine driving toward Pirate’s Inn. There wasn’t a second to lose!
    Brian and Dan raced toward the galleon to help Honey with the injured man.
    “We’ll be back to help you as soon as we can,” Brian yelled over his shoulder.
    Di, too, didn’t hesitate. She rushed indoors to call for an ambulance and for the police. Mart was right on her heels.
    Jim and Trixie also hurried inside. There was only one more thing left to do. Trixie knew that if she had guessed wrong, her mistake would affect the Trasks for the rest of their lives.
    Jim knew it, too. “Are you sure this is going to work, Trix?” he asked her.
    “It’s got to,” Trixie answered grimly. “Oh, Jim, it’s simply got to!”

    The inn’s old-fashioned clock showed exactly one minute to seven when Mr. Nicholas Morgan walked into the dining room.
    What he saw there made him stop dead. The captain’s table was set for dinner, as it had been the evening before. Seated around it was a group of people, staring at him. He could see Trixie, Jim, Di, and Mart. Miss Trask, tight-lipped, was sitting