The Secret of Skull Mountain
 Original edition | |
| Author | Franklin W. Dixon |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Hardy Boys |
| Genre | Mystery novel |
| Publisher | Grosset & Dunlap |
Publication date | January 1, 1948 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 212 pp |
| ISBN | 0-448-08927-0 |
| OCLC | 19406194 |
| Preceded by | The Phantom Freighter |
| Followed by | The Sign of the Crooked Arrow |
The Secret of Skull Mountain is Volume 27 in the original The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories published by Grosset & Dunlap.
This book was written for the Stratemeyer Syndicate by George Waller Jr. in 1948.[1] 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.[2] The original version of this book was shortened to 177 pages in 1966 by David Grambs[1] resulting in two similar stories sharing the same title.
Plot summary
Every night water strangely disappears from the new Tarnack Reservoir near Skull Mountain. Frank and Joe join forces with a team of skilled engineers to solve the baffling mystery.
The book takes place on Skull Mountain, a mountain where many skulls have been seen, near Bayport, U.S.A. This city around Skull Mountain loses water each night because of the new reservoir. There is always something mysterious happening on the mountain, which has an underground channel.
The story begins when Joe wants to go swimming, however, Frank points out that there is no water. When they discover that the water is missing, they team up with Chet Morton, Dick Ames and Bob Carpenter in order to solve the mystery. While exploring Skull Mountain, where the reservoir is located, the boys are attacked several times. They finally find Timothy Kimball Jr. (sweeper) breaking into Mr. & Mrs. Kleng’s store in order to steal the safe which holds his pay ($5000). Timothy is arrested and questioned about the reservoir. This leads the Hardy Boys to catch the villain, Mr. Kleng, and solve the crime. At the end, the Hardy Boys can go swim because there is enough water in the pool.
Characters
The main characters are the Hardy Boys: Joe Hardy, who is a 17-year-old and the son of world-renowned detective Fenton Hardy, and his 18-year-old brother, Frank. Minor characters include a local engineer named Bob Carpenter, his assistant Dick Ames, and the Hardy Boys' friend, Chet Morton. Mr. & Mrs. Kleng organize the crime to steal the water from the reservoir, but Timothy Kimball Jr. (sweeper) is actually being paid to carry out the plan. Dr Foster, who was treated very badly, is another character who is kidnapped by Mr Kleng's gang to test the tunnel in the mountain to see if there are any minerals in it.