of criminals called "The Hudson Gang". But of more immediate concern is the theft of several auction items, at an auction attended by Chet Morton and the Hardy Boys. The stolen items are mostly animal skins and carcasses intended for use in taxidermy, Chet's latest hobby. Investigating all the seemingly unrelated mysteries leads to some connections. Spike Hudson, leader of the Hudson Gang, uses a house near Bayport as a hideout—a house which has vicious-looking stuffed animals hidden around it at strategic points to discourage unwanted snooping. And the "Help -- Hudson" message, though initially thought to be from or about Spike Hudson, seems to instead be from a group of stranded researchers trapped somewhere on the isolated coast of Hudson's Bay...near to where Spike Hudson has another hideout. Soon, the Hardy Boys are travelling by plane to the fictional White Bear River in remote Northern Ontario, Canada (references in the book place it most likely somewhere near Moosonee and Moose Factory) to try to solve the thefts, rescue the researchers, and break up The Hudson Gang. References The Hardy Boys books 1945 American novels 1945 children's books 1966 American novels 1966 children's books Novels set in Northern Ontario Grosset & Dunlap books