Read The Mystery of the Aztec Warrior for Free Online

unable to answer any of them. Finally they said good-by and went to the waiting room.

    On his left arm was a tattoo of an Aztec warrior
    â€œFor Pete’s sake, where have you fellows been?” said Chet. “I thought you’d flown off without me!”
    â€œIt would have served you right,” Joe needled. “If you keep on eating, Chet, you’ll be so overweight they won’t take you on the plane.”
    â€œOh, all right, all right,” said Chet. “Now tell me what you’ve been doing.” He was astounded upon learning that his friends had picked up a good clue.
    â€œSenor Tatloc, eh?” he repeated. Then he gave a great sigh. “I can just see you fellows making me climb all over those crumbly old ruins!”
    The boys’ plane finally took off. After a delicious meal on board, they fell asleep. It was Sunday morning when they awoke, and the stewardess announced that they would land at the Mexico City airport in twenty minutes. The boys quickly washed, combed their hair, and straightened their rumpled suits. Then they watched from the windows as the great plane circled and came to a landing.
    â€œLet’s take a taxi into town,” Frank suggested. “We’ll get the driver to show us some of the interesting sights as we go along.”
    They found a taxi driver, who grinned in delight when he found the boys spoke his native tongue. He said he would be honored to take his passengers on a sightseeing trip before delivering them to their hotel.
    The boys climbed into the car, and the driver sped out of the airport and onto a wide highway. The road was bordered by low stucco houses and open-air markets with here and there a tall apartment house.
    â€œThis doesn’t look very old,” Chet remarked. He sounded disappointed.
    â€œWait!” the driver advised. “We come to old part of city soon.”
    A short time later he turned into a large square. “This is the zócalo,” he announced proudly. “The cathedral on the north side was finished in 1667 and built on the ruins of a great Aztec temple.”
    The boys gazed at the huge church with interest. Then, pointing to a long low building which covered one side of the plaza, the driver explained that this was the National Palace. On the other sides of the square were the Palacio Municipal and an arcade which sheltered a row of small shops.
    â€œThis part looks pretty old,” Chet acknowledged.
    Suddenly a taxi passed the one in which the boys were riding. A man’s hand protruded from it. He was waving a white handkerchief frantically as if to attract their attention.
    â€œIs that a signal to us?” Frank asked excitedly.

CHAPTER VI
    Unwanted Passenger
    â€œDRIVER, pull up alongside that taxi,” Frank cried, pointing ahead.
    The taximan put on a burst of speed, while the Hardys strained their eyes to see who was inside the other taxi.
    They were barely able to catch a glimpse of its passengers, but Frank whispered, “That man with the handkerchief is Jack Wayne! The other man looks Mexican.”
    Suddenly their own taxi stopped. Quickly Frank and Joe turned to see why. To their amazement a stranger, with flashing black eyes and swarthy skin, and holding some kind of badge in his hand, was climbing in beside their driver.
    â€œYou’re under arrest!” he told the taximan.
    â€œWhat! I have done nothing!” the frightened driver said.
    Frank and Joe looked at each other and at Chet, who gulped nervously. Did this have something to do with them? Was this a ruse to capture them as well as Wayne? Frank whispered to the others, “We’d better get out of here—and fast!”
    Joe nodded, grabbed his suitcase, and opened the door. The next moment he and Chet, swinging his bag, were on the street. Frank threw a bill to the taxi driver and hopped out with his luggage. The stranger ordered the taximan to hurry on.
    Instantly horns began to toot