|
''The Missing Chums'' is volume 4 in the original The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories published by Grosset & Dunlap. The book ranks 108th on Publishers Weekly's All-Time Bestselling Children's Book List for the United States, with 1,189,973 copies sold .〔(【引用サイトリンク】 date=Dec 17, 2001 )〕 This book is one of the "Original 10", generally considered to be the best examples of the Hardy Boys, and Stratemeyer Syndicate, writing. The plot concerns the disappearance of the Boys' chums, Chet and Biff, when they take a motorboat trip down the coast. When Frank and Joe finally find them, they are all captured. In the end, they triumph over the bad guys on mysterious Hermit Island. This book was written for the Stratemeyer Syndicate by Leslie McFarlane in 1928.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 first=James D )〕 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.〔http://www.hardyboysonline.net/content.php?page=series-canon-revisions〕 The original version of this book was rewritten in 1962 by James Buechler〔 resulting in two different stories with the same title. The original version of this title is noted for being the first Hardy Boys book in which Aunt Gertrude makes an appearance. ==Plot summary (revised edition)== At the beginning of the book the boys take their new boat, the ''Sleuth'', out on the bay. While they are cruising on the bay another boat nearly rams them. They are unable to give chase because of a damaged steering mechanism on boat, and the boys end up going around in circles. It turns out that the boat that nearly rammed them had a purpose for doing so, but the reason why is not revealed until the end of the book. Soon after, the boys prepare to go to Callie Shaw's costume party. They inadvertently stumble upon another part of the unraveling mystery as they see some unknown men in Mr. French's Costume Shop, who appear to threaten him. Returning home, the boys frighten their Aunt Gertrude with their costumes. (Aunt Gertrude is a recurring character in the series.) Soon the boys are off to the costume party on their motorcycles. On the way they realize that the bank is being robbed. They follow the criminals until they lose them at the docks, where they hop into a boat and escape into the fog. After notifying the United States Coast Guard, the boys gain permission from Chief Collig to search for the criminals in the ''Sleuth'', but the boys discover the ''Sleuth'' has been stolen. The boys search for the bank robbers in Tony Prito's boat, the ''Napoli'', but are unable to find them in the thickening fog. The boys return home, explain to their father everything they saw at the bank and during the chase, and then head out to the costume party. The next day the boys awaken to learn that Chet Morton and Biff Hooper never made it home from the party. The boys not only have to learn who stole the Sleuth, but where their missing friends went, and who robbed the bank. As the story develops the boys learn that expensive radios that may have been stolen are turning up. Lastly, a hermit on a tiny island with a shotgun threatens the boys. Soon they rescue their friends and escape. The book ends saying that Frank and Joe would soon start a new case "in the near future while ''Hunting for Hidden Gold."' 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Missing Chums」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|