Part 28 (2/2)

He probed deeper. Bit by bit, a smoothly contoured and still-s.h.i.+ny metal surface became visible. ”I've found it!” Tom's eyes flashed in triumph, his heart pounding.

There was no doubt he had uncovered the nose cone of the missile which had re-entered the earth's atmosphere tailfirst!

Meanwhile, Bud, keeping watch on the enemy submarine, had seen a shadowy figure glide from its air lock and head in Tom's direction. Bud donned a hydrolung and followed.

”What's that he's carrying?” Bud wondered.

Suddenly the answer came to him--a self-propelled underwater grenade!

Horrified, Bud jetted forward, tackling the diver at full speed.

A split second too late! The grenade went streaking straight toward Tom Swift!

CHAPTER XX

A LUCKY BLAST

Tom's earphones caught the hiss of the approaching grenade. Instantly his eyes darted to the sonarscope on his wrist.

A tiny blip of light was moving on the screen!

Tom whirled about, then gunned his ion drive. He pushed out of the path of the grenade, which nevertheless grazed him as it streaked past.

Seconds later, the grenade struck bottom. A shattering _bo-o-oom_ reverberated through the depths, and clouds of silt darkened the water into Stygian gloom.

Tom, knocked off balance, was tumbled about helplessly by the train of shock waves. As they died away, he gradually recovered his bearings and pressed the throttle control of his ion drive. It coughed and stuttered!

For a moment Tom felt a surge of panic, but the jet motor smoothed into a steady purr of power.

”Whew!” he thought in relief. ”At least I can still get around at full speed if anything else comes at me!”

He had clung to the flashlight and fork despite the explosion. The blast had hurled him away from the spot where the missile was buried, so Tom began trying to locate it again.

But he soon realized that his efforts were hopeless. He must wait until the silt which clouded the water cleared. Now Tom feared that the explosion might have reburied the nose cone.

Suddenly a new worry gripped him. _Had the missile's precious contents been destroyed by the blast?!_ Slowly he began making his way back to the _Sea Hound_.

Unknown to Tom, Bud was fighting a desperate battle with his adversary barely fifty yards away. The divers grappled each other in an octopuslike duel. At such depths, their movements were impeded, as if by oil.

The Brungarian pulled out the knife at his belt. Bud, a skilled wrestler from high-school days, managed to twist his foe's knife arm behind his back--then applied a punis.h.i.+ng judo hold! The Brungarian gave an audible screech of pain and dropped the knife.

”Now you're coming along with me!” Bud muttered. He gunned his jet, forcing himself and his adversary toward the _Sea Hound_.

Moments later, they pa.s.sed the seacopter's cabin window. Reaching the air lock, Bud hammered for admission. The hatch opened quickly and his prisoner was hauled inside. Bud followed.

Tom greeted him with a bear hug. ”Hi, Bud, you old devilfis.h.!.+” Turning to the prisoner, Tom added ”Who's this?”

”The rat who fired that grenade at you!”

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