Part 30 (1/2)

Jio?”

”Whenever you are,” Rick called back He picked up his heavy three-tank block froainst the rail and handed it to Scotty

While his friend held the rig, Rick got into it Then he performed the same service for Scotty The tanks were heavy

Tony and Zircon, similarly equipped, came out of the amidshi+ps cabin with Steve Aroup to work around the wreck longer

The search party assee Jiroups They would dive in relays

”We'll look the situation over, then get to work,” Ji bars?”

Four of the UDT gang held theht Turn and turn about Work for ten minutes then pass the inside Okay

Let's go”

They slipped into the water four at a time, Rick and Scotty in the first four Once in the water, the weight of the heavy tanks vanished The boys had rehts from their belts to allow for the extra tanks and for more than ten additional pounds of air on the descent

A pair of frog the reel doith them in order to provide a direct link from wreck to shi+p On the way up the divers would pause at knots in the rope to decoet out of their blood streams

With the boys and the scientists, Jimmy went over all visible portions of the wreck He su of his hands that said he didn't knohere to begin For his frogesture that told the in pairs The water clouded rapidly with silt, particles of s

The top of the captain's cabin cah the ood condition He carried it to clear water and placed it on the sand Now that it was out in the open, it could be seen that teredos--shi+pworms--had feasted on it and burrowed into it until it was nothing but a chair-shaped shell

The same was true of the cabin interior It collapsed soundlessly under the prying bars of the frogmen Under their enthusiastic attack the water was soon so roiled that visibility at the wreck was reduced to alroup surfaced without decole tank

On the landing stage, the lieutenant said, ”No use continuing until the water settles Any ideas, Chief?”

Sanders, the group's chief petty officer, replied, ”I think we're going to need a sand hose, Sir Most of the wreck is buried”

Jonesy, a short, husky froght-red crew cut, added, ”Sir, I think the cannon and stuff would be on the deck ahead of the cabin we opened up, but the deck is under the sand Could we rig a hose, Sir?”

”Good idea Put a detail to work, Chief”

Sanders called out four names and issued instructions Ji the break, Rick sought out Steve Aanized gang I keep thinking about the tho tried to get us at St Tho It was a _very_ well-organized gang

Their trouble was not enough trained agents They had to hire extras, and the extras were just ordinary s who ents”

Jiot reports fro Our people have all the stations except one in British territory Maybe our British cousins can get the station team for us We've tipped thee juice and rose ”Tiet back to the wreck”

Hobart Zircon asked, ”Don't you want to take your caet it One of the frog with the rest of the equiph for thorough inspection of the entire aft portion of the wreck Rick and Scotty helped the frog more than a pair of rusted cutlasses