by Henry Hockenberger

Three twelve-year-old boys venture out during summer vacation to build a sailboat, but are sidetracked by a murder mystery that leads them to discover a fortune in gold artifacts, as well as some smugglers.

Attempting to foil the smugglers' getaway, they cross a lake in a broken boat and encounter a windstorm, a crooked lawman, a spooky old house, and a few girls.