Part 8 (2/2)

”I can add a small note to that,” Lieutenant Kelly said ”I'm new here

I was ordered down froence officer had ins after beingfor two days He had a fractured skull He still doesn't knohat happened to him, and neither do we”

”Okay,” Steve said flatly ”I appreciate the way you handled things yesterday, but that's the end so far as you are concerned Get out, and stay out! And that's final!”

CHAPTER VI

The Deadly Tank

The Sky Wagon droned shts as Rick and Scotty inspected every inch of Clipper Cay and its surrounding waters While Rick flew, Scotty marked off landmarks on the chart of the island that Dr Ernst had provided

”I e could spot the wreck of the _Maiden Hand_,” Scotty remarked

”Too deep,” Rick said ”We can't see bottom at twenty fatho important marked What say we land and look over our property?”

”Okay I'll shoot the beach while you look for coral heads We don't want to snag a pontoon”

The boys had already identified their house It was set at the edge of the palms, about fifty yards inland from the beach It looked fine

There was a small dock to which the _Water Witch_ could be tied up when the scientists arrived

Rick estimated that Tony and Zircon would arrive about sundoo hours hence The boys had flown over the _Water Witch_ en route fro the trip Zircon had been sprawled in the cockpit while Tony trolled for fish

”I' with the plane,”

Rick observed He and Scotty had gone over the Sky Wagon froht have sabotaged the plane But there was no sign of any ta that it was late afternoon before they got away It was significant and perhaps a little oned a pair of husky Shore Patrol men with 45-caliber sidearms to stay with them until the plane actually took off

”Maybe the twowithout orders,” Scotty replied ”Maybe the real brains of the gang aren't even interested in us”

”I hope that you're right See any coral heads?”

Although s of coral called ”heads” had grown up toward the surface in some places

There were none in the stretch of water before the beach house where Rick planned to land

”The water's clear Pick your direction There's not enough wind to make any difference”

”I'll land parallel to the beach”

Rick turned south down the center of the island When he had reached the right position he cut the throttle, and the nose of the Sky Wagon dropped He banked tightly, reversing course, until the plane was headed north a hundred yards out from the beach He let the plane feel its way toward the water, then felt the first bump as the pontoons touched In athe plane to taxi in toward their new ho off his shoes and socks As the pontoons touched bottom a few yards froun while his pal pulled the plane up on the beach

Rick got out and waited until Scotty slipped his shoes on again, then they walked to the cottage

The door was unlocked Few people came to Clipper Cay, and locks weren't considered necessary The boys pushed open the front door and walked in