Trilogy III.

The White Bat

This is book #1 of the Trilogy III book.

Summary.  Professor J. Jerrold Douglass has been given an albino bat from South America for his collection.  He buys a houseboat to go natural history exploring in Kentucky, and befriends a father and his two children Billie and Gloria in a neighboring houseboat.  They anchor along the river bank near the clubhouse, and Gloria accidentally lets the white bat escape.  When the white bat takes up residence in Cliff Cave, Gloria disguises herself as a giant white bat in an attempt to scare others away from the cave while she tries to recapture the bat.  Hawkins and the boys figure out what is going on, and help her recapture the bat.  The Professor is so impressed with their gallantry that he gives them his houseboat before departing the area.

This is book #2 of the Trilogy III book.

Summary.  A bank in Watertown has been robbed of $40,000 by a gang of Italians led by Orletti.  He convinces their former leader Canoni, who had gone straight some years ago, to help them hide the money until the excitement dies down.  When Canoni has second thoughts, Orletti imprisons him in a cave down near the clubhouse.  Orletti also gets a boy from Watertown, Bartelmi, to bring his gang down to the area and capture and hold Canoni’s son, Tony.  The scheme falls apart when Bartelmi, being pursued by the F&S Club boys, jumps off the cliff into the river and breaks his leg.  He ends up in Doc Waters’ private hospital, Orletti and his men are arrested, and the other boys in his gang lead Hawkins and the boys to Mr. Canoni and the money.  Bartelmi develops an infection from his injury, and dies.

 The Big Dogs

Summary:  The boys have found a great Dane in the hideout cave of Bartelmi.  The dog’s collar tag says it belonged to Bartelmi.  They also find Bartelmi’s journal, in which he wrote that in the event of his death the dog would go to Seckatary Hawkins.  The dog becomes the Club mascot, which causes some hurt feelings among a few of the Club members because the dog favors Hawkins.  Jerry Moore finds another big dog running loose, a police dog, and brings it to the clubhouse to be a rival to the great Dane.  The Pelhams even get into this game, bringing over a great mastiff dog.  The police dog is returned to its owner, the Maury family, giving Hawkins the opportunity to meet the very pretty Paula Maury.