Part 3 (1/2)
Barby giggled ”I' them in, Steve”
”Steve knoe're available any tiive,” Rick said
Steve suess why I showed up with a hunk of artillery underI had to be sure there wasn't a reception party waiting You never can tell about information leaks, no matter how careful you are, so I landed at the back end of the island with a squad of men and ent over the place with a fine-tooth coer on the island--including strangers you ht not have known about”
Hartson Brant rose ”Well, I think we've settled all initial details except where we put the Millers--or rather, the Morrisons Can you bring them tomorrow?”
Steve rose, too ”As Rick and Barby said, I didn't have any doubts
How about tonight?”
”Tonight!” Barby gasped ”Are they here?”
”Almost They're on a cutter offshore If it isn't convenient, I can keep theht”
”Of course it's convenient,” Mrs Brant said firmly ”We'll put Mr
and Mrs Morrison in John Gordon's room He's still out West And we'll take the spare twin bed out of Hobart Zircon's rooht away, Steve Barby and I will get busy, and Rick and Scotty can move the spare bed”
”Wonderful” Steve walked out to the porch and coughed twice Rick hurried to his side just in time to see one of the trees in the orchard yield up a dark shadow that turned out to be a Coast Guard petty officer, carbine at the ready and a walkie-talkie slung over his shoulder
”Let uardave Rick a curious look as he handed Steve the phone
The agent said, ”Nevada, this is Texas Deliver the goods”
The reply was, ”Texas, this is Nevada The package is in the uardether and return to the shi+p, Smitty Repeat their instructions They don't knohere they've been, and they don't knohat they've been doing”
Srinned ”Aye-aye, sir That won't be hard None of us really knohere we've been or e've been doing”
”Life is easier that way,” Steve said ”Shove off, now”
”Aye-aye, sir” The guardsht
”Let's ested
For the next few moments the house was a flurry of activity Rick and Scotty dis only to the big scientist that unexpected corossed in a theoretical problem, scarcely noticed
By the tiements and had counted the towels for the third ti
Rick, Scotty, and Barby ran to Steve's side and walked with hi where the Spindrift boats were s, but now, fearful of being left behind, the pup raced ahead of the group
[Illustration: _The coastguard the Morrisons--for so Rick was already conditioning hiroup hurried to uard ot there first He barked furiously, trying to frighten off the invaders, then his barks suddenly changed to an anguished howl as a new voice joined in the racket It was a feline voice, and a highly indignant one