The Buried Secret
At first, the captured frogmen were defiant. They insisted that the Navy
had nothing on them. The brass ball wasn't theirs. They were only sport
divers having some fun.
Then, faced with the unassailable fact that Rick had taken motion
pictures of their activities, they lapsed into sullen silence and
refused to talk.
Rick and Scotty watched Jimmy Kelly check the diving equipment of the
frogman teams lined up on the destroyer escort's deck. Beyond the teams
they could see the three enemy frogmen, taking the air under the
watchful eye of a shotgun-armed sailor.
"I wonder if we'll ever get the full story," Rick mused.
"We've got all we need," Scotty answered. "What pieces are missing?"
"Well, I'm curious about the chicken. I think we hit it when we decided
they wanted to scare us out of the octopus-cave area, but it would be
nice to know for sure. And why did they take the sonar equipment to the
eastern reef during the storm?"
"Probably to make a recording as a routine check. They couldn't assume
all sub activity was taking place to the west."
"But how can we be sure?"
"We can't. We can only try to figure out what happened, based on what
information we have. For instance, there must have been a sonar unit
near where we swam at St. Thomas. It's the only thing that could have
got the shadow so excited. But what difference does it really make? We
know most of the story, and we can guess the rest."
"Steve may be able to fill in some pieces later," Rick observed. He
liked to have a thing wrapped up neatly, with no loose ends hanging.
Still, that was almost impossible in a case like this.
Jimmy Kelly called, "You boys ready to go?"
"Whenever you are," Rick called back. He picked up his heavy three-tank
block from where it rested against the rail and handed it to Scotty.
While his friend held the rig, Rick got into it. Then he performed the
same service for Scotty. The tanks were heavy.
Tony and Zircon, similarly equipped, came out of the amidships cabin
with Steve Ames. Jimmy had loaned equipment from the frogmen's supplies,
to enable the group to work around the wreck longer.
The search party assembled on the landing stage. Jimmy had split his
teams into two groups. They would dive in relays.
"We'll look the situation over, then get to work," Jimmy instructed.
"How many have wrecking bars?"
Four of the UDT gang held them up.
"All right. Turn and turn about. Work for ten minutes then pass them to
your mates. Watch your hoses, especially when working inside. Okay.
Let's go."
They slipped into the water four at a time, Rick and Scotty in the first
four. Once in the water, the weight of the heavy tanks vanished. The
boys had removed weights from their belts to allow for the extra tanks
and for more than ten additional pounds of air on the descent.
A pair of frogmen payed out a heavy rope, taking the reel down with them
in order to provide a direct link from wreck to ship. On the way up the
divers would pause at knots in the rope to decompress, allowing time for
compressed nitrogen to get out of their blood streams.
With the boys and the scientists, Jimmy went over all visible portions
of the wreck. He summed up his attitude with an elaborate shrug and
spreading of his hands that said he didn't know where to begin. For his
frogmen, he made a sweeping gesture that told them to tackle the wreck
anywhere. The frogmen moved in, operating in pairs. The water clouded
rapidly with silt, particles of marine growth, and fish eggs.
The top of the captain's cabin came off. Rick swam in through the murk
and picked up the chair that had seemed to be in good condition. 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. Under their enthusiastic attack the
water was soon so roiled that visibility at the wreck was reduced to
almost zero. Jimmy sounded the signal for ascent and the group surfaced
without decompressing. They had just about exhausted a single tank.
On the landing stage, the lieutenant said, "No use continuing until the
water settles. Any ideas, Chief?"
Sanders, the group's chief petty officer, replied, "I think we're going
to need a sand hose, Sir. Most of the wreck is buried."
Jonesy, a short, husky frogman with a bright-red crew cut, added, "Sir,
I think the cannon and stuff would be on the deck ahead of the cabin we
opened up, but the deck is under the sand. Could we rig a hose, Sir?"
"Good idea. Put a detail to work, Chief."
Sanders called out four names and issued instructions. Jimmy called a
ten-minute break for the rest.
During the break, Rick sought out Steve Ames. He commented, "You know,
this wasn't a very well-organized gang. I keep thinking about the two
who tried to get us at St. Thomas."
Steve disagreed. "You're wrong. It was a _very_ well-organized gang.
Their trouble was not enough trained agents. They had to hire extras,
and the extras were just ordinary mugs, and not very bright ones. It was
the mugs who made the mistakes, not the real agents."
Jimmy Kelly spoke up. "Did we tell you? We got reports from the other
UDT teams this morning. Our people have all the stations except one in
British territory. Maybe our British cousins can get the station team
for us. We've tipped them off."
The lieutenant finished a glass of orange juice and rose. "Time's up.
Let's get back to the wreck."
Hobart Zircon asked, "Don't you want to take your camera, Rick?"
"Good idea." He hurried to get it. One of the frogmen had picked it up,
along with the rest of the equipment they had left behind.
The water had settled enough for thorough inspection of the entire aft
portion of the wreck. Rick and Scotty helped the frogmen poke into every
possible place without finding more than a pair of rusted cutlasses.
Rick surveyed the scene with discouragement. The statue was somewhere
under the sand, which probably meant they would never find it. He had
another sudden realization, too. They had no proof that this ship was
the _Maiden Hand_, no proof that the whole business wasn't just a
wild-goose chase.
By the time the dive was over, the sand hose had been rigged. The first
group surfaced and Jimmy ordered the fresh group of frogmen to hose out
the aft cabins to find anything that might be left. Then the group was
to start work on the probable location of the foredeck.
During the rest period, Rick told Jimmy about the other wreck they had
found, the modern ship that he guessed was a war casualty.
"We'll take a look at it first thing in the morning before we shove off
for St. Thomas," Jimmy promised. "You never know what you'll find in a
wreck. We've found a lot of things worth salvaging."
The boys were operating under Navy rules now. They put on fresh tanks
and got their instructions from Chief Sanders. "Longer decompression
this time. Stick with me on the way up and move when I move. We don't
want you to get the bends."
The boys nodded their understanding, then took to the water.
The frogmen below were still hosing sand. Water forced at high pressure
through the hose that ran down from the ship sent the stuff swirling in
great clouds. The boys watched. They couldn't do much looking around
until the water settled.
Then they saw that the frogmen weren't waiting. They swam into the murk,
feeling around with their hands. Rick saw one emerge triumphantly
holding a round object that could only have been a cannon ball.
He and Scotty plunged in, too. Working with the frogmen they rapidly
assembled a treasure trove of cannon, more cannon balls, cutlasses still
in good condition, and useless ship's gear.
Fifteen minutes later a frantic hooting brought them in a rush to where
Jonesy was holding something. Zircon and Tony got there at the same
time, and soon all work had ceased while Jonesy's find was examined.
Tony took his belt knife and scraped. Then he looked around at the
watching group and nodded. He clasped his hands together and shook them
like a fighter mitting the crowd.
Rick and Scotty hooted their triumph. Jonesy had found the statue of St.
Francis!
The boys, the scientists, Steve, and Jimmy carried the treasure to the
surface. The rest of the frogmen continued hunting for souvenirs.
On the landing stage they put the statue down with loving care. Even
under the marine growth they could make out the cowled figure of the
sainted monk, head bent over the fawn he held in his arms.
Tony went to work. Soon there was a gleam of gold that brought a yell of
triumph from the boys. Then--amazingly--the gleam of dull silver.
"Hobart, look at this!" Tony exclaimed.
The big scientist knelt and examined the silvery streak. He borrowed
Tony's knife and probed, then his laugh boomed across the water.
"We are the victims of our own research!" he roared. "All this
trouble--over a statue of lead!"
"Lead!" Rick stared incredulously. This couldn't be true! "There's gold,
too," he pointed out.
"Apparently gold leaf over a lead base," Tony said with a sigh. "No,
Rick. Hobart is right. This is lead."
A call from the water made them look up. Chief Sanders and his diving
buddy had surfaced, and they were carrying a statue of St. Francis!
Behind them, another pair of frogmen, with still another statue!
Within a half hour there were no less than eight identical statues lined
up on deck. St. Francis, in lead, repeated eight times.
Scotty scratched his head. "Well," he said finally, "we certainly found
St. Francis! In fact, we overdid it a little."
Not until long afterward did they learn the answer. Tony Briotti, a
scientist of great persistence, did some research in England during a
European trip to attend a conference of archaeologists. He found that
the _Maiden Hand_ had carried several dozen St. Francis statues, for
sale to churches and individuals in the New World. Captain Campion had
considered only one special enough to mention, because it had been
blessed by the Cardinal of France and entrusted to his care for delivery
to the Governor of Barbados.
The Spindrifters took one statue as a gift for Barby. A cutlass was
Rick's share of the loot, while Tony took the bar shot they had found
near the wreck and Zircon selected a cannon ball. It was understood that
the knife Scotty had found was to be his, so that he could present it to
Hartson Brant.
A few quick dives the following morning disclosed nothing of interest
around the first wreck they had found, but Jimmy identified it as a
common type of small cargo vessel. Then the destroyer escort sailed for
St. Thomas.
Before it left, there was time for a few words with Steve Ames.
"I'm leaving St. Thomas by air tonight for Washington," he reported.
"Something new has come up and I'm needed. I may need you, too, before
this case is over. The report wasn't detailed, but it carried a few
implications that have me worried."
"We'll be ready if you need us," Rick assured him.
Steve's warm smile flashed. "I know," he said. "I'll see you soon."
The RICK BRANT SCIENCE-ADVENTURE Stories
BY JOHN BLAINE
SCIENCE-ADVENTURE STORIES
[Illustration: RICK BRANT]
Rick Brant is the boy who with his pal Scotty lives on an island called
Spindrift and takes part in so many thrilling adventures and baffling
mysteries involving science and electronics. You can share every one of
these adventures in the pages of Rick's books. They are available at
your book store in handsome, low-priced editions.
THE ROCKET'S SHADOW
THE LOST CITY
SEA GOLD
100 FATHOMS UNDER
THE WHISPERING BOX MYSTERY
THE PHANTOM SHARK
SMUGGLERS' REEF
THE CAVES OF FEAR
STAIRWAY TO DANGER
THE GOLDEN SKULL
THE WAILING OCTOPUS
THE ELECTRONIC MIND READER
THE SCARLET LAKE MYSTERY
THE PIRATES OF SHAN
THE BLUE GHOST MYSTERY
THE EGYPTIAN CAT MYSTERY
THE FLAMING MOUNTAIN
End of Project Gutenberg's The Wailing Octopus, by Harold Leland Goodwin