The Stone Idol by Franklin W. Dixon

it’ll be even farther. We’re in for a long flight.”
    After the pilot had taken off, the boys studied the guidebook. They discovered that Easter Island was quite small, only fifteen miles by eleven, with a population of about two thousand people. “It has a number of extinct volcanos,” Joe announced, “the most important being Mount Rano Raraku where the natives got the volcanic stone from which they carved their giant figures.”
    Frank smiled. “That’s one thing I’ve been wanting to see for a long time, and thought I never would. The stone heads of Easter Island!”
    â€œI know one thing you won’t see,” Joe said. “Trees!”
    â€œYou mean there are none on the island?”
    â€œThat’s right. Only grass. Sheepherding is one of the leading industries, but many natives make a living from the growing tourist trade.”
    â€œWell,” Frank quipped, “in that case, the only place Santana can hide is in a volcano!”

15 The Wizard
    As they were thundering along over the ocean, Frank flipped through the pages of Aku-Aku.
    â€œThis book is great,” he said. “Tells about Thor Heyerdahl’s expedition. He wanted to solve the mysteries of the island, which he did. Some of them, anyhow. Like that business of the long ears on the statues. He says the Incas who came from South America had long ears. So when they made the carvings, they gave them long ears.”
    â€œBut why did they produce those big stone figures?” Joe asked.
    â€œThat’s one mystery Heyerdahl didn’t solve. He says no one knows why they created them or how they transported them from Mount Rano Raraku. Some weigh fifty tons! Look at this picture.”
    Frank pointed to an illustration of Heyerdahl sitting on top of a stone figure twenty feet tall. Other illustrations showed giant carvings lying on the ground near platforms on which they had once stood.
    â€œWho knocked them over?” Joe wondered.
    â€œInvaders from across the Pacific, Heyerdahl thinks,” Frank replied. “They came from Polynesia and conquered Easter Island. To demonstrate they were the bosses, they pushed the statues off the platforms. That’s the way it was when a Dutch sea captain discovered the island in the eighteenth century. Later, Captain Cook landed there during his voyage around the world. Finally, Chile annexed the place in the nineteenth century.”
    Their conversation was interrupted by their pilot, who offered them sandwiches that he had brought along.
    â€œOh, I’m so glad you thought of that,” Joe said. “I’m starved!”
    After their meal, they slept for several hours until at last Easter Island came in sight. The plane circled over the area, and the Hardys got a broad view of rolling, grass-covered terrain. They looked down into the craters of extinct volcanos and noticed that high cliffs fell off into the water along most of the coast.
    Over the airfield, Joe commented, “No planes on the ground. The Inca Chief must have left already. I hope they arrested Santana when he arrived!”
    After landing, the Hardys went to the control tower and asked about Santana’s plane.
    â€œAccording to the flight plan of pilot Pedro Morena, that plane’s overdue,” said a man at the monitoring control board. “I’ll see if I can raise him on the radio.”
    He lifted the transmitter and called, “Easter Island control to Inca Chief! Come in, please! Pedro Morena, come in, please!” He repeated the call several times, then set the transmitter aside.
    â€œNo answer,” he reported.
    â€œWill you let us know what happens?” Frank asked. “We’ll be at the Hanga Roa Hotel.”
    â€œAs soon as we know,” the man promised.
    â€œThanks. Our names are Frank and Joe Hardy.”
    The boys retraced their steps just in time to catch the bus to the hotel at the southeastern end of