Part 19 (2/2)

They put Rick's unit in the botto with Scotty's fins and mask Rick put on his own fins and made sure he was ready to hit the water at a moment's notice

Rick went to the stern of the runabout and felt down the rass that ht slow them down It was clear Scotty, meanwhile, untied the boat and slid into the driver's seat Rick reached over the transoasoline tank to ensure plenty of pressure, then he waded to the side of the boat and got into the seat next to Scotty

”Pull us out to where the nose is alrass,”

Scotty whispered

Rick did so, by grasping clu As the bow cleared the grass, Scotty punched the starter button, threw the runabout into gear, and shoved the throttle all the way forward

The runabout juainst his tank The boat hit the shoal at the entrance and slowed for a long, breathtakingprop pushed it over into deeper water The stern went down and the bow lifted, and they were clear

Scotty swung the boat to the right, putting its stern to the cove Rick tensed, expecting any moment to feel the impact of a rifle bullet, either in the boat or in his own body There was no sound other than the racing motor, and he kneould drown out the crack of a distant rifle

The distance from the cove entrance widened ”Get ready!” Scotty yelled

”Lay flat and be ready to roll I'll turn so theaway from you When I tap you, we'll be directly in line with the cove entrance”

Rickthe gunwale, facing Scotty He put theair, then pulled his mask down He was ready The impact with the water would be hard, at this speed, but his tank would cushi+on the shock He tensed for the signal

Scotty swung the boat to the left, held it on course for a ht That way, theitself away from Rick when he went over

The boat came abreast of the cove entrance and Scotty slapped Rick on the shoulder Instantly Rick rolled, one hand reaching for the back of his head, the other grabbing his mask He hit the water on his back, his hand and the tank breaking the shock of the stunning is upward, and hishi position and consulted his wrist corees If Scotty had gauged things correctly, that course would take him into the cove If Scotty hadn't, Rick Brant would end up on the beach like a stranded whale

Rick considered The boat was gone, and it was extremely unlikely anyone had seen hi the side away frouards had not seen theinto account his distance froht it would be safe to look and check his course

He held the compass in front of his eyes, and rose to the surface He broke through slowly and without a splash One look was enough He should have trusted Scotty He was dead on course

Rick went to the botto strokes He and Scotty had practiced esti of their leg strokes It wasn't an exact method, of course, but it was practical

There were no underwater obstacles, and the depth was great enough Rick remembered froht to eleven feet, dropping inside the creek mouth to about seven No bullet could harht watchers fired, the bullet would be slowed by the water

He heard the sound of a ain Scotty was going through some kind of maneuvers

Then, in a short time, another motor made itself felt, more than heard

The slower beat identified it as Orvil Harris's crab boat He was nearing the cove!

Like all divers, Rick's ears were sensitive to pressure changes Sensing when the depth lessened, he knew he had reached the cove itself Now to find the payload--if it was a payload His groping hands began the search

The first foreign object he touched was a cord It was the wrong thickness for his own line, and he felt along it until he ca one of Orvil's crab baits He grinned in spite of the mouthpiece Wouldn't Orvil be surprised if a diver ca to his bait!

He let the crab line drop and continued his search Once, Orvil passed within a few feet of him, and Rick wondered if the crabber had noticed the air bubbles froround told Rick he had reached the end of the cove He turned left and held his course for about twenty feet, then turned left again, heading back toward the cove entrance His hands never stoppedthe mud for a trace of fish line He crossed another of Orvil's crab lines, and kept going until pressure change told him he was back in the deeper water at the creek entrance He turned right again A check of his co hands trailed over a thin line He grabbed it, and stopped his flutter kick Then,with care, he turned and followed the line His pulse was faster now, and he rigidly controlled his breathing

Fast breathing wouldn't do, and he would have to be careful not to let out a sigh that would cause bubbles to gush upward in one big rush