Part 14 (2/2)
Rick wondered if they would ever be sure Yet, he felt that it was, even though he realized that the feeling grew aselse Still, it was unlikely that another shi+p would be wrecked at this same depth
Tony wrote on his slate, ”Mor undr sand thn can see, likely”
Rick nodded The shi+fting sands had undoubtedly covered, exposed, and recovered the wreck dozens of times in the years it had lain here He looked at his watch, then reluctantly gave Tony the signal to surface
Their time was up
On the _Water Witch_, Tony said, ”It's a shi+p all right And since its on the western reef at twenty fathoms, I'd say that it's very likely the one ant”
”Wonder how Captain Caed the depth so accurately?” Scotty inquired
Zircon had a possible answer ”Let's assuolden statue It would have been logical for them to sound, just to see if there was any possibility of recovering the treasure from the wreck Since they kept Campion for ransom, he would have heard the depth ood an answer as any, since there was no hope of knohether it was right or wrong
”Hoe find the statue?” Rick asked
Tony handed hirin ”Take the wreck apart a piece at a ti”
The boys sighed Rick recalled reading soing Now he knehat the authorthe regulators to fresh tanks While they checked equipth of heavy line An e with a screw cap was attached to it, and he handed the end of the line to Scotty to take doith hih Let's add this, just in case”
Scotty took it and went over the side He carried his spear gun while Zircon took the wrecking bar Rick watched as they vanished fro track of bubbles
Ashore, a men's house and walked down to the beach He shaded his eyes and stared at the _Water Witch_ Rick pointed hiist admitted ”Are you certain about the identity of theAmes?”
”We're dead sure”
”Then is there any possible way he could have known about our presence on the island?”
”Not unless he recognized the _Water Witch_”
”That must be it The question is, what do we do about it?”
”Nothing, I guess Except to be on our guard”
Twin sets of bubbles rose, sos orking well twenty fathoms down Since the bubbles did not ascend vertically, they did not show the location of the two on the botto on an idea
The chicken had dropped pretty close to them But since their floats were tied to the reef, and their bubbles were carried off a vertical path by the light currents, neither could have been used to pinpoint their whereabouts--_unless whoever dropped the chicken had an excellent knowledge of the currents in this particular place_!