"Dixon, Franklin W - Hardy Boys 043 - The Mystery Of The Aztec Warrior" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dixon Franklin W)

"That one on the left is Mr Moore!" the lawyer said excitedly.

"And the Indian-Spanish-looking gentleman with him?" Joe said. "Is he Roberto Hermosa?"

"I don't know," Mr Weaver replied.

Frank was staring at the picture. "He just might be the direct descendant of the Aztec warrior!" he cried out.

Mr Weaver was so excited he forgot all about leaving. Joe quickly ran through the rest of the slides in the box. Each one showed the same two men in various parts of a lovely garden.

"Mr Weaver," said Frank, "since some of these slides are similar, would you let me take one and make a print from it?"
The lawyer considered the request, then finally consented.

Frank picked out the clearest view of Mr Moore and his companion, put the slide in a handkerchief, and slipped it into a pocket.

The projector, screen and boxes of slides were put away. Then the lawyer and the two young detectives left the house, locking the door behind them. As soon as the boys reached home, they went to their workshop over the garage to make a print which Frank later tucked into his wallet.

As the brothers were walking to the house, their father drove in. "Any luck?" he asked.

"We think we had a little," Frank told him, pulling out the picture. "One man is Mr Moore. The other may be either Roberto Hermosa or the Aztec warrior descendant. We found the picture in a box of Mr Moore's Mexican slides."

The three went into the comfortable, well-furnished house where they were greeted by Mrs Hardy. She was a small, slender woman with a sweet smile. She tried to take the adventuresome life of her family philosophically, but still worried over the dangers she knew they encountered.

They were met also by Miss Gertrude Hardy, the detective's sister, who lived with them. She was a tall, spare woman who adored her nephews, but frequently made it quite clear she thought they were not cautious enough in their sleuthing. Upon a few occasions her dire predictions of danger had come true.

When Aunt Gertrude heard about the beneficiary who had been searching in the attic, she said tartly, "The idea! Why, he should be cut out of the will! There's no telling what he's already got away with!"

"We don't know that he was trying to steal anything," said Frank, defending Mr Brower.

Aunt Gertrude was unconvinced. "There may be secret hiding places in that house," she declared. "If I were in Mr Weaver's place, I'd get out a search warrant and go through all that Mr Brower's effects."

Mr Hardy patted his sister's shoulder. "I'm sure that the man will have a good explanation when he regains consciousness. Let's give him a chance to tell his story."

"This is your case, of course, but I wouldn't put too much faith in that man!" she said, and hurried to the kitchen. Mrs Hardy waited with the boys while the detective telephoned the hospital. He reported to his family that Mr Brower was still unconscious.

"He must have had a bad whack on the head," Mr Hardy remarked.

Frank and Joe talked about the case until lunch was ready. The meal included one of Aunt Gertrude's famous strawberry shortcakes topped with a sea of whipped cream. Presently the conversation turned again to the mystery.

"I think we should bone up on Mexican history," said Frank, "especially the period when the Aztecs were in power."

They excused themselves from the table and went to their father's library. Each boy selected a volume on Mexico's fascinating history.

"Whew! Human sacrifice!" Joe suddenly exclaimed. "They chose a young man, and for one year gave him the best food and clothes and entertainment possible, then killed him as a sacrifice to the war god!"

"Yes, and everything was done in the name of religion, with the priests as the killers!" Frank remarked.

The boys studied pictures of the elaborate costumes worn by Aztec warriors.

"Pretty fancy!" Joe remarked.