The Mystery of Cabin Island by Franklin W. Dixon

aren’t now, they will be!” the cook replied, and headed straight for the kitchen. A short time later the four sat down to a delicious breakfast.
    After the Hardys had reported on the trip to Surfside, Biff and Chet told of their failure to locate the stolen supplies.
    â€œLet’s look once more,” Frank suggested, and explained that Tad and his pal knew nothing of Hanleigh’s departure from the island.
    â€œAnd he certainly didn’t carry those heavy cartons across the ice!” Joe stated. All footprints had been obliterated by the wind-drifted snow, so their task was more difficult.
    â€œChances are they’re hidden nearby,” Frank said. “We’ll go without snowshoes this time so we can kick up the drifts.”
    As soon as breakfast was over, they set out. First they searched in the snow which had piled against the cabin, but found nothing.
    â€œHanleigh probably carried the boxes out the back,” said Frank, leading the way to the kitchen door. “Where is the nearest big drift?”
    The boys looked around. Joe pointed to a mound of snow banked high against a large spruce at the edge of the clearing.
    The four hurried over and began kicking into the drift. Suddenly Biff cried, “Ouch!”
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” asked Joe.
    â€œStubbed my toe on the tree!” Biff answered. “Hey-no! It’s a can of fruit!”
    Chet dug eagerly into the snow and gave a whoop of joy. “Here’s the chow!”
    The boys carried the containers of food to the kitchen. “This time we unpack everything,” Chet declared. “Then it won’t be so easy for someone to cart off!”
    As Frank helped to remove the contents, his hand came upon a small brown notebook lying askew between two cans of beans. He plucked it out.
    â€œLook at this!”
    â€œWhose is it?”
    Frank thumbed through the damp pages, most of which were torn loose.
    â€œCould this be the notebook we saw Hanleigh using?” asked Joe.
    Frank examined a few more pages and gave a low whistle of surprise. “I doubt it. See here. The name on the inside cover is John Paul Sparewell!”
    â€œSparewell!” Joe exclaimed.
    Biff shook his head, bewildered. “What was Sparewell doing here? Did he take our stuff? How many people are wandering around this island, anyway?”
    Frank placed the notebook on the table where they all could examine it and began turning more pages.
    â€œWow! See this!” Biff exclaimed.
    One of the loose pages contained a crudely drawn map. “That’s Cabin Island!” the boys cried out In unison.
    Another entry concerned rental of a boat.
    â€œWhether or not Sparewell has been here recently, it looks as though he was coming to Cabin Island regularly at one time,” Joe remarked. “Just like Hanleigh is now!”
    On a page near the back of the notebook, the boys found a list of receipts for small sums. “Sparewell evidently had very little money,” Frank commented.
    â€œHe had problems, though,” Joe observed. “Read the next item.”
    The scrawled script said, “Appointment with Dr. Bordan on Sat. My condition worse. Would appeal to J but am afraid.”
    â€œI wonder if J is for Jefferson,” Frank mused. “It sounds as though Sparewell was very ill. Perhaps he didn’t live long after making these notes.”
    â€œI don’t believe Sparewell was the one who dropped this notebook,” Joe reasoned. “He’d have frozen to death over here.” The boy frowned in perplexity as he turned to the last page. All four stared at it in astonishment.
    â€œWhat kind of lingo is that?” Biff gulped.
    The letters at the bottom of the page were:
    HJOSW SHRJWN HLSEWPA RPAO A, EWO WSWP APPO LSUL
    â€œA coded message!” Frank exclaimed.

CHAPTER XII
    An Iceboat Clue
    â€œIT’s a coded message, all right!” Joe declared as the four boys continued