The Secret Warning - Plot Summary (revised Edition)

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 Roger’, 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 on board, 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 Pharaoh’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.