Part 20 (1/2)

Rick stared at the gathering clouds for longhim

”You know, there has been a cloud over this vacation almost from the et involved in anything but diving and exploring, but we got pulled by the ears into a hot case Steve warned us off that first day The warning didn't help, because we got dragged back into things ent swiain at the hotel”

Three faces were turned toward hi what all of theht we'd leave trouble behind e ca for us We didn't look for it, until tonight”

He drew a deep breath ”Well, from noe have to beco strange going on here We do, and it's up to us to find out what The goings-on in the octopus cave have so on--and what Steve is working on has so iriree with this, because it's the only thing we can do Professor Zircon knew it tonight when he tried to excuse our looking in on the frogmen as curiosity”

Zircon nodded silently

”From now on,” Rick concluded, ”we have to operate as unofficial JANIG agents, until we can get word to Steve Ames so he and his e in the Storh on the reef and blew the tops from waves between the reef and the shore Hour by hour the wind stiffened, until the breakers on the shore were higher than those through which the Spindrifters had swu were spent getting ready for a blow The _Water Witch_ was secured by springlines, and extra fenders were put over her side The four hauled the Sky Wagon high onto the beach by sheer muscle power, then turned the plane into the wind Rick and Scotty salvaged the concrete-block foundation froe where they had found the planks, and used the blocks for land anchors on the plane

The shutters were checked, and closed on the front of the cottage The shed where the tank had broken through was repaired as well as iear was stowed inside

The rain cae in a continuous thunder Its force carried it under the door, through cracks beside thefras to stuff into cracks In the kitchen the roof began to leak, and soon every available pot and pan was being used to catch drippings

Rick worked al of his friends As was his way, he worried the proble, Dismal, would worry a bone

He discarded a dozen possible reasons for their actions, including underwater co He pondered on the relations of the Spindrift group--or lack of themen and re-exanized themen considered the to the wreck, and therefore to be watched but not considered dangerous

He rather liked that one It would mean that the chicken had been dropped ”mischievously,” to use Zircon's word, to try to scare them out of the immediate vicinity But there were other possibilities

First premen knew of their connection with Steve

Second premen weren't worried about people with JANIG connections

This ht be explained by superior weapons in the hands of the frogmen, coupled with the assumption that the Spindrifters had no coe of their real reason for being on Clipper Cay

Rick didn't care much for the last two premises The first one seemed more reasonable After all, they were not sure that the former tail had seen the _Water Witch_ in St Thomas, or had known of their connection with it On the contrary, to get to Clipper Cay so soon after the Spindrifters arrived, the frogman must have left about the same time the scientists did There was even a possibility that he had arrived ahead of the Spindrift group and that the frogmen's boat had been out when Rick and Scotty had first spotted the diving equipn of any tail but the Virgin Islander while they were around the pier and on the _Water Witch_ Either he or Scotty would almost certainly have spotted a second man--especially since they had seen him before

There was a major precaution, however, to be taken: he and Scotty ood look at thenized their clumsiness for what it was--a deliberate stall

Scotty poked hi for quite a long while on the broo

”Made up your ?” Scotty asked

Rick knew his friend had been watching hi their many adventures each had developed a rather unusual understanding of how the other's mind worked