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Tom dashed out of the shed and scanned the sea to the southward. Sure enough, a jetmarine had surfaced and was speeding toward the sub docks. Minutes later, Tom was shaking hands warmly with Zimby Cox and Mack Avery. "Is Bud okay?" was Zimby's first question. "Right! I just heard from him," Tom replied. "He and Mel captured those enemy frogmen and a copter's on the way to pick them up.
With an effort Rick pulled his scattered wits together. His mind began to work again. Obviously, through some miracle Steve and Zircon had arrived on a Navy ship with Jimmy Kelly and a detachment of Navy frogmen. Scotty called from on deck. "It's at the octopus cave, Steve. I saw one of the frogmen drop it there." Steve hauled himself out to the landing stage. He grinned at Rick. "Feeling better?"
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 shipworms 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.
"Sure looks like it," the sergeant said, passing over the binoculars. After a brief look, Bud explained the hunch that had occurred to him. "I'll bet that guy's waiting with clothes for the frogmen. He probably got here late and doesn't realize they've been nabbed!" "Well, he'll soon find out," the police driver said grimly. He was about to start up the jeep when Bud stopped him again. "Wait!
Anyway, I'd hide it aft, in officer's country, and not near the forecastle where the crew lived." "That's probably right. Anyway, we won't have time to do much wrecking today. What say we hunt for loose boards in the cabin?" Scotty grinned. "The treasure fever has got our boy Rick. Have you forgotten we were going to see what those fancy frogmen were curious about?"
U sty out of rnge & cvr me wth gn." Rick had just one hope of getting away with it. He had to assume that the frogmen would be busy with whatever they were doing in the cave. If so, their backs would be to the open sea. At least the chance was worth taking. Zircon wrote, "OK bt be crfl." Rick didn't need the warning. Together, they swam back until they were close to the glow of the lights.
"We will," Tony said. "Good night." The front door closed. Scotty rose, slid open the window, and went out. Tony scraped a chair in the living room. Rick stayed where he was, in case the frogmen had lingered outside. In a few moments he heard the back door open and close, and he tensed, but it was Scotty's voice that spoke. "They're gone. I just wanted to make sure."
As they ate and watched, the boat moved away from the pier and approached the reef, where it anchored. Rick went to get the binoculars and focused them on the scene. Two frogmen, complete with suits, went over the side right where their buoys floated! "They're diving at the wreck!" he exclaimed. Zircon took the glasses and watched, then handed them to Tony.
The archaeologist muttered, "Surely they can't be interested in the treasure. It would be simply too much coincidence for them even to know about it." "Maybe they're just looking to see what interested us," Scotty offered, and his explanation seemed the most plausible. The group watched until the frogmen surfaced and the boat went back to its pier. "Scotty has it," Zircon agreed.
They had only one hope now that the frogmen would make a quick survey of the wreck, then go away. The boys waited tensely, ears alert for any sound that would tell them the whereabouts of their enemy. There was only the sound of their bubbles. Rick pressed close to the opening and peered out. The water that could be seen from the entrance was clear. However, it was only a narrow sector.
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