Summary of the danger vampire trail?

Answer 1

This is the 50th book in the original Hardy Boys Mystery Series which ran from 1927 to 1979 and was, along with the Nancy Drew, Tom Swift and Bobbsey Twins series, part of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Like "Carolyn Keene" of the Nancy Drew series, "Franklin W. Dixon" is a pen name used by several different people over time. The usual modus operandi was for the contracted author to write the book according to an outline provided by the Syndicate. The present book was written by Andrew Svenson and published in 1971.*

The series features brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, 18 and 17 years old respectively, whose father, Fenton Hardy, is a former New York City police officer and world-renowned detective. With their friends, chubby Chet Morton and sometimes lanky Biff Hooper, Phil Cohen, Tony Prito and Jerry Gilroy, Frank and Joe solve mysteries involving smugglers, counterfeiters and others who don't contribute productively to society at large in Bayport, a port town somewhere on the Eastern U.S. seaboard.

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Fenton enlists the boys' help in cracking a scam involving counterfeit Magnacard swindles. The cards are generally issued to high-income people only. Purchases made with the counterfeit cards seem to involve a lot of sporting goods-like the tent camper that Chet has just purchased at a steep discount with all his hard-earned savings. Part of the scam is to sell big ticket items to unsuspecting marks before the merchants realize they've been taken. Immediately one of the bad'uns is identified as Archibald "Whip" Lasher, a con man with a penchant for the outdoors. (Hard to read that name and not be reminded of the late poet Archibald MacLeish, though I see no connection other than the similarity in names).

The boys had been talking about going camping, anyway, and Fenton suggests they take the opportunity to visit public campsites to track down outdoors men/con men on their way west. Before they leave, they ask their mother if there is anything they can bring back for her. She answers that she'd like a sapphire, her birthstone.

Along for the trip with the brothers are Chet-who made a deal with the merchant for the hot tent trailer-Biff Hooper and Biff's bloodhound, Sherlock. Setbacks dog... er, the boys experience vexations and delays from the start, including getting stopped for hauling a stolen tent trailer, camping in a farmer's field without his permission, and getting four flats overnight on their convertible where a practical joker saw fit to remove the valve cores. (How did the guys sleep through that?)

During a talent show at a public campground, Joe plays a guitar, Biff the harmonica and Chet a jews' harp, something he's just taken up. A guy on a dirt bike named "Vampire Trail" apparently takes exception to their performance, rushes the little amphitheater and ends up smashing Joe's guitar. The next day, the group traces the rider, named "Juice" apparently for his orange soda habit, to his campsite. Joe sees a guitar he'll take until his is replaced. "Go ahead," Juice warns them, "but Fingers won't like it."

A shuffle later ensues between our heroes and Juice and his two friends, in which the second guitar is smashed, revealing rough sapphires glued within its body. If the reader needed anymore proof that Juice and his buddies are crooks, here it is. But how are they tied up with the Magnacard scam?

In addition to being the name of Juice's bike, "Vampire Trail" is also a trail off a campground in the Colorado Rockies where it's said that people have been attacked by vampire bats. Even Joe comes away one night with a welt on his neck. But vampire bats only live in Central and South America, right? As any veteran watcher of "Scooby Doo" cartoons will tell you, this must mean that some bad'uns don't want the public to know what's going on up on Vampire Trail.

While the plot is extremely unlikely, the road trip aspect is rather fun. The boys meet different people on the way and in the campsites, most of whom are average Joes. One character that was rather entertaining, if out of place, was a guy who held court in a trailer with a psychedelic paint job and called himself Prince Cuthbert. He claimed to be descendant of King Arthur and dressed in royal robes and a crown.

As silly and as unlikely as the plot of the book is, it was entertaining and fun simply by virtue of the road trip and the camping, something I enjoy in real life, even without Chet as cook. For this, I will recommend it

Answer 2

"Vampire Trail" refers to the danger of following a vampire back to its lair, where there is a risk of being attacked and turned into a vampire oneself. It is advised to be cautious when dealing with vampires and to avoid pursuing them to their hideouts for safety reasons.