Part 17 (2/2)
From the speed boat came a tremendous voice -- words launched by a loud-speaker of the high-powered type sometimes mounted on the under side of airplanes used ill delivering advertising talks from the sky.
It was the voice of red-necked Hack.
”Everybody come out here and help!” Hack called.
Answering the summons, more giants appeared on the island. They might have been hideous genii, conjured by the rubbing of a magic lamp, for they sprang up from what had seemed a bleak, boulder-strewn hump of rock. Amid a great splas.h.i.+ng, they swam to aid the three black, gigantic pinhe ads.
”It's only a question of time till they nail us!” Renny said glumly.
The speed boat darted toward their little collapsible sh.e.l.ls, and its machine gun tossed salvos of sound over the lake surface. The bullets were carefully aimed. They herded Doc and his party toward the swimming monsters.
Long Tom, on his knees in one of the little sh.e.l.ls, opened a light metal case. In this were racked objects which resembled metal cannisters holding movie film, These were ammo drums for the supermachine pistols.
”Some of these are explosive bullets,” the electrical wizard announced.
The others had known this. Doc carried all types of cartridges -- mercy slugs, tracers, incendiary bullets, armor piercers, and explosives.
Renny clipped a drum of explosive ammo into his weapon. He aimed carefully, after latching his gun into single-fire position, and fired once.
There was a flash, a loud report, and the giant who was Renny's target bawled loudly. The explosive slug had opened a gaping pit in his shoulder.
Hack's coa.r.s.e voice came from the loud-speaker on the speed boat. ”Don't kill the bronze man, or any of those with him!” it commanded.
Then the florid-necked Hack repeated the command in the hooting, gobbling dialect of the pinheads. Doc's men swapped glances in the moonlight. Their features held blank surprise.
”Didja hear that?” Monk exclaimed. ”Apparently they don't want to kill us.”
”It may be a trick to get us to surrender!” the girl said wildly.
Doc Savage selected a container of equipment and opened it. He removed several of the compact devices called ”lungs” by divers. These consisted of clips to close the nostrils, and mouthpieces -- the latter with attached hoses which led to chemical breath purifiers.
Doc and the others donned these lungs. The bronze man himself showed the steel-haired girl how the contrivance functioned.
The pig, Habeas Corpus, watched these preparations with a beady-eyed intentness. His near-human intelligence was exhibited when he began squealing plaintively.
”Blast it!” Monk groaned. ”We're gonna have to let 'im take care of himself.”
”Can he swim?” Ham asked.
The dapper lawyer sounded anxious. Considering the desire he had expressed on innumerable occasions to slaughter Habeas, his present concern was surprising.
”He's a swell swimmer,” Monk grunted.
The homely chemist lifted Habeas by the scruff of the neck and pointed at the island.
”We'll meet you there, buddy,” he said optimistically.
The pig plunged overboard and began swimming for the rocky protuberance.
Doc and the others slid into the water. Each carried a ease of equipment, these serving as weights. They sank beneath the surface.
Doc switched on his flashlight when he touched the lake bottom. The flash was waterproof. The others gathered about the light. As soon as they were together, they linked hands in a living chain. Doc switched off the light. He did not want the giants, swimming above, to spot the glow.
They moved along the lake bottom toward the island.
DOC SAVAGE wore upon his right wrist a small, highly accurate watch. This was made entirely of non-magnetic metal; and slung on a jeweled bearing between the crystal and the hands, was a compa.s.s needle. This was luminous; and since the watch case was waterproof, it could be used under water.
The water pressure was not especially disagreeable, the depth being scarcely more than twenty feet.
Moonlight made a faint silvery haze overhead. Waves suffused this with undulating shadows. On the bottom, where they walked: it was very dark.
That water transmits sound more effectively than the air was demonstrated by the distinctness with which they could hear the slopping noises the swimming giants were making.
Distinct also was the throb of the speed boat's motor. This latter sound drew closer.
Unexpectedly there came a terrific concussion. Invisible fingers seemed to ram into the ears of Doc and his aids and press against the drums until the agony was intolerable. Their bodies felt the shock, a distinctimpact from head to foot.
Doc Savage knew what had happened. Their enemies had explosives in the speed boat. They were dropping the stuff into the lake.
The first explosion, terrifying as were its effects, had occurred some distance away. Other detonations, occurring nearer, would bring crus.h.i.+ng death.
Doc Savage dropped the case of apparatus which he was using for weight, and stroked to the surface.
His five men and the girl followed.
”Tough,” he said grimly when they were all afloat. ”But to stay down there would have been suicide.”
MOUTHING TREMENDOUS sounds, the giants converged upon their quarry. The manner of the monsters was ferocious. They seemed possessed of a killer l.u.s.t.
The huge loud-speaker on the speed boat blasted metallic words.
”Do not harm them,” Hack thundered. ”We'll hold 'em until we hear from the chief.”
Low-voiced, Doc addressed his five aids and the girl.
”Take it easy. We haven't a chance. They really mean that stuff about not harming us.”
A moment later, one of the swimming giants reached Doc Savage. The monster chanced to be one of the pinheads.
Doc Savage, who towered in stature when beside ordinary mortals, was dwarfed by the grotesque proportions of the pinhead. A monster hand clamped upon Doc's arm. Desirous of ascertaining what strength the giants possessed, Doc struggled.
The result was astounding. For all of his fabulous muscular ability, he might have been a child opposing a mature man. Not wis.h.i.+ng to anger the pinhead monstrosity unnecessarily, Doc permitted himself to be towed sh.o.r.eward.
The girl, Monk, Ham, and the others were captured in like fas.h.i.+on and dragged toward the island.
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