Frank Hardy's parents, Fenton and Laura Hardy, were rushing around the house. They had thirty minutes to get to the train station. Eleven-year old Frank went to find his brother. Joe, a year younger, was sitting on the edge of his bed gazing into the backyard. "What's wrong with you?" Frank asked.

"I was just wondering if Biff was going to miss me. I won't be here to play football with him this summer," Joe answered. Frank just shook his head, making his dark hair fall across his forehead. The Hardy family was preparing for a train ride across America and Joe was feeling bad about the neighbor kids missing him! Frank sighed. He’d never understand all Joe’s feelings! The boys carried their suitcases down to the car so their father could load them in the trunk.

The ride to the train station had taken forever and the boys were very anxious to get on board the big, silver train that would take their family on a ten-day trip across America. There were so many people around the train station! Frank and Joe stayed very close to Mrs. Hardy as they waited for their father to check their luggage. Finally it was time to board the train.

The boys settled into their seats and watched all the people waving from the platform beside the track. Soon the train started moving. It started slowly, rocking back and forth. As it picked up speed, the rocking motion could hardly be felt at all. It didn’t take long for the scenery to get boring and the boys became restless.

"Mom," Joe asked, "Can we get up and walk around?"

"Oh, I don’t know," Mrs. Hardy replied, "I suppose it will be alright. Don’t wander too far and keep an eye on each other."

"We will!" said the boys together, grinning at each other.

"Where should we go first?" asked blond, blue eyed Joe. Frank looked around. They decided to just walk through some of the train cars and see if there were any other kids their age on board. They explored several cars on the train.

"Hey, you guys," said a voice from a space behind the last seat in one car, "Come over here, quick!" Frank didn’t want to go, but Joe headed right to the spot where the voice had come.

"Who are you?" asked Joe, peering behind the seat.

"Sh-h-h! Just get in here before they see you!" Joe crawled behind the seat and Frank reluctantly joined them. Sitting deep in the narrow space was a boy about Frank’s age, with red hair and freckles.

"My name is Larry," said the boy, "and my brothers, Ron and Jeff, are looking for me."

"Why are you hiding from them?" asked Frank.

"I took something that belongs to them and now they are both really mad!" answered Larry. The Hardy boys were curious about what Larry might have taken from his brothers, but they were afraid to ask any more questions because Larry’s eyes got real big as he peered through the crack between the seat cushion and the wall of the train.

"It’s them!" he said in a terrified whisper. The boys all sat very quietly, holding their breath. Frank glanced toward the aisle just as two older, husky boys stomped angrily by them.