by John Blaine
The water was up to their ankles now, and rising fast. The first screw stuck. Rick took the knife in both hands and turned, and the screw driver blade gave a little. Sweat started out on his forehead.If the blade broke . . .
The screw gave and started to turn. Working as fast as he could he spun the knife, got the screw started well, then went to the next one. Scotty bent and finished removing the first screw with his fingers.
Two screws . . . three . . . and the water was up
totheir calves, almost at the bottom of the door. Four
. . .the fifth stuck. Scotty rapped the metal under
itwith his pinch bar. Rick tried again, and it came free.
The sixth . . . and six to go.
The water reached the bottom of the circular steel plate, covered the lower screws.
“Hurry,” Scotty pleaded.
Rick shifted to the lowest screws.Took one out, then another. The ninth stuck, too, and it was under water.
Scotty swung the pinch bar and water splashed. The screw held.
The water was rising fast. Most of the steel plate was covered now. Rick worked frantically, his hands under water. The screw refused to yield. He twisted hard, and the screw driver blade gave again. The water covered the steel plate entirely.
Rick was crouching low, only his shoulders above the water now. He skipped the stubborn screw and fumbled for the next one. Scotty held the light at the surface of the water and Rick’s hands were green in the beam as he worked at the screw. It came free. Three togo, and one of them stuck!
The water was up to his neck as he crouched. He pressed his lips tightly together and went after the tenth. His wet hands slipped as he twisted, and the knife dropped!
Rick fell to his knees, groping for it. He found it, but precious seconds had been lost; the water was at his chin.
The screw gave.Two to go, including the one that was stuck.
He fumbled for the slot, twisted. The screw refused to yield. He took a deep breath and went back to work, his nose and mouth under the water. The screw held.
He straightened up, filled his lungs and went back at it. Gripping with both hands, he twisted. The screw gave slightly-and the knife fell apart in his hands!
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Rick stood up, holding the knife in the light Scotty held. The rivets holding it together had given under the strain. With shaking fingers he pulled the knife completely apart and separated the screw driver blade from the others. Then he plunged back under the water and fumbled for the screw slot. It hurt his fingers cruelly, but he gritted his teeth and twisted. The screw gave. He turned it rapidly and pulled it loose.
Only the badly stuck one was left, and it would never give now with only the fragment of the knife for leverage.
But Scotty was moving into action. He reached down and found the rim of the steel plate, then, with his fingers, he pulled it loose enough to insert the pinch bar. He threw his weight on the bar and the plate came loose, pivoting down out of the way on the remaining screw.
Rick was under water instantly, his sensitive fingers probing in the lock’s inner workings. He felt an oddly shaped wheel to which metal bars were fixed. His racing mind reconstructed the picture. The outer wheel turned the inner one, and the bars, which were pivoted on the inner wheel, slid the locking bolts into place. He grabbed the wheel, but his hands couldn’t get a grip through the intervening locking bars, then he had to come up for air.
The water was above the door level, up to his shoulders when he stood up!
“The bar,” he yelled, and took it from Scotty. “Hold me down!”
He went under, and Scotty’s hands found his shoulders and forced him down.
It had to be now!
His searching fingers found the locking wheel and guided the pinch bar in. Then, braced against Scotty’s hands, he pushed with all his strength. The wheel moved a fraction of an inch. He pushed again, and felt it give a little. The pressure of the bar was turning the wheel, withdrawing the locking bolts!
He kicked as a signal and Scotty let him up. He gasped for air in the rapidly filling chamber. The water was up to his chin, standingl
Filling his lungs, he went under again, found the place for the pinch bar and threw his weight against it, his legs driving. The wheel turned slowly. Rick kept the pressure on it, ignoring his burning lungs. Scotty pushed from above, holding him under, giving him leverage.
The bar was suddenly loose in his hands I He started to yell,then his mouth was full of water. He shot forward as though catapulted. There was an instant of chaos,then he was gasping clean, cool air. He staggered to his feet in time to see Scotty pile out of the fractionator in a surge of water.
Scotty took Rick’s arm and squeezed it. “Boy, I thought we were a couple of drowned dumplings for sure.”
Rick nodded weakly. The water stopped its turbulent rush as it spread over the ground. He looked around him and saw no one. Only the beat of the pump engine broke the silence.
The light was still working. Scotty flashed it around, and it came to rest on the fractionator panel.
Aluminum gleamed dully through the black paint.
They walked to it, still unsteady. The control panel was a battered mass of twisted metal.
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Scotty went back and searched until he found the pinch bar. Water was still running out of the concrete box, but slowly now.
Silently they walked down to the pump house and shut the engine off. There was no sign of anyone in the plant grounds.
“They did a good job,” Rick said bitterly.
“Almost too good,” Scotty replied with a shudder.
“I can’t figure out why they turned the pump on,” Rick said. “They had us trapped. They could have wrecked everything without any trouble from us.”
They stopped walking and stared at each other in the dim starlight.
“They must have deliberately set out to get us,” Rick said, and the knowledge was an icy ball in the pit of his stomach.
CHAPTER IX
The Warning
Tom blakely paced the floor of the Quonsethut, Doug straddled a chair and looked at the boys, who sat on one of the bunks. The young engineer’s face was grave as he nodded agreement with what Tom was saying.
“All right, you say you looked the plant over thoroughly and nothing was damaged but the fractionator panel. Do you know what I think? Damaging the panel was an afterthought.”
Doug started. “But that means . . .”
“Yes,” Tom stated harshly. “This business tonight wasn’t aimed at the plant at all. If damage had been all they were after, they wouldn’t have turned on the pump. And they would have systematically ruined everything in sight.”
He stopped pacing and faced the two boys.
“What do you know that makes you dangerous to anyone?”
Rick stared at him, wide-eyed. Scotty’s jaw dropped.
“Nothing,” Rick replied. “What made you ask that?”
“It adds up,” Tom said grimly. “This business tonight was an attempt on your lives. It wasn’t intended to be anything else. I’m sure the wrecking of the panel was an afterthought. Well, if anyone wanted to get Page 54
you out of the way, it can’t be because of your value to the plant, otherwise they would have gone after Doug or me. So you must be dangerous because you know something. I can’t think of any other reason.”
“Neither canI ,” Doug agreed. “So I’m firing both of you. You’re staying here tonight with us, and leaving for Spindrift first thing in the morning.”
Rick found his voice. “But you can’t send us awayl ”
“Oh, yes, we can,” Tom said flatly. “We’d rather junk the whole plant than have you risk your lives by staying here. You’re fired, and that’s final!”
And despite the boys’ protests, the partners were adamant.
“There may not even be jobs much longer,” Tom pointed out. “If Carstairs refuses to give us the processing units, we’ll h
ave to fold, because we can’t pay cash for them. Our investigation of the books tonight showed us that we’re on thin ice. We can pay the workmen fromBridgeport for about a week’s work.”
“So turn in, both of you,” Doug ordered. “Tom and I are going to stand guard the rest of the night.”
Rick saw from the stubborn set of Doug’s jaw that he wasn’t fooling. Both boys had gotten out of their wet clothes before the partners arrived and were wrapped in blankets.
“Okay,” Scotty said resignedly.
Rick lay awake for a long while, thinking things over. He decided it would be best to return to Spindrift without argument. Then they would return on Monday, as though nothing had happened. He hoped that by then the plant would be humming with imported workmen and the partners would be too busy to worry.
There was something else . . . something about their being locked in the fractionator . He tried to puzzle out what it was that bothered him, but he was too tired to think clearly. Those long minutes working at the lock had taken plenty out of him.Out of Scotty, too, to judge by the deep breathing from the other bed. Rick turned on his side and bunched his pillow up comfortably, and went to sleep.
The boys awoke to full daylight and the appetizing aroma of bacon and eggs. Tom was playing chef. He greeted them cheerfully.
“Doug’s out looking at the fractionator . Rise and shine and get this chow into you, then clear out. Your pay checks are on the desk.”
The boys dressed quickly in clothes that were dry, but wrinkled and uncomfortable. By the time they had eaten, Doug had returned.
“The panel’s a total loss,” he reported, “but fortunately, I have the necessary parts to build it over again.
I’ll start on it right away.”
“I suppose we’d better be going,” Rick said meekly. “We’ll have to go to the hotel and pick up our bags.”
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“Are you all right?” Tom asked.“Able to fly?”
“I’m right as a trivet.” Rick grinned.“Whatever a trivet is. When will we see you again?”
“When the plant is operating,” Doug answered. “Well come to Spindrift, if we may.”
“You’ll always be welcome,” Rick assured him.
They shook hands all around and the boys left. At the gate, they bumped into Tony, who looked at them sharply and growled a greeting.
“Seeing Tony reminded me,” Rick said as they hiked into town. “I knew last night there was something queer about our being locked in. It was the pump. Remember how you couldn’t start it and Tony had to?”
Scotty stopped short. “Gosh, yes! And I thought of something, too. Who knew that we’d be there alone? Tony!”
“But we don’t have any evidence against Tony,” Rick objected, remembering what Tom had said.
“Anyone who knew something about engines could have started the pump. You could have, once you’d seen that the choke didn’t work.”
“Sure,” Scotty agreed. “And Gunner or Lewis could have seen Tom and Doug leave the plant. They would have guessed we were alone.”
They were silent for a moment,then Rick spoke up. “That’s a whole lot of coincidence, though.”
“I don’t believe in coincidences,” Scotty agreed, “but we have to have something more definite on Tony before we can accuse him.”
“Anyway, we can keep an eye on him,” Rick said. “And we can tell Doug and Tom what we suspect.”
Cap’nGait was at his desk when they returned to the lobby.
“Well,” he exclaimed, “I’ll be tarnal blamed if it ain’t the two prodigal sons! And where were you last night?”
“We stayed at the plant,” Rick said. “ Cap’n, is Fred Lewis around?”
The old man’s bright eyes narrowed. “Now, s’funny you should ask that. He checked out last night.
Didn’t say where he was goin ’.”
“Thanks,” Scotty said grimly. “Well, good-bye, Cap’n . We’ll see you on Monday.”
“Don’t know why you pay for a room,” Cap’n Gait said tartly. “You don’t use it none to speak of.”
“It’s a place to leave our clothes,” Rick said, grinning.“So long, Cap’n .”
“Funny Lewis should leave just then,” Rick said, as they headed back toward the plant, “almost as though he wanted to get out of town before we were found in the fractionator .”
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“Maybe that’s just why he checked out,” Scotty said. “Do we stop in and say good-bye to the partners?”
Sure.
As they approached the Quonset hut, they suddenly heard Tom’s voice. He was almost yelling, and he sounded angry.
“Let them threaten! We’ll get police protection and I’ll carry a sawed-off shotgun if I have to. Tony can do the same.”
The boys broke into a run. As they barged into the Quonset hut, the partners and Tony looked up.
“You’re supposed to be on your way home,” Tom said.
“We’re going,” Rick assured him. “What’s up?”
“A message Tony found tacked on the fence a few minutes ago,” Doug said. “We’ve called the police about it, and we’re going to tell them about what happened to you last night. It’s time we stopped trying to fight our battles alone.”
Tom silently held up a placard on which was printed in bold letters: IF YOU TRY TO IMPORT WORKERS THE
OUTRAGED CITIZENS OF CRAYVILLE
WILL FIGHT!
CHAPTER X
Gunner’s Raid
It was with mixed feelings that Rick landed the Cub on the beach on Monday morning. He had assured Scotty that the partners would let them stay, because they would be so busy that they wouldn’t have time to argue. Inwardly, he was not so sure.
And then, by returning to Crayville, they were walking into the enemy’s territory again. If they knew the identity of the enemy, they could guard themselves. But who was he? They had talked over the problem a dozen times during the week end without coming to any satisfactory conclusion.
They hiked up to the road and walked briskly toward the plant. Rick wiped moist palms on his handkerchief. Tom and Doug couldn’t make them leave; they had to be in at the finish.
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Doug was leaning against the plant gate, and two burly guards were with him.
“And where do you think you’re heading?” Doug asked.
“To work,” Rick replied with more confidence than he felt.
“Not here. Listen, you beavers, haven’t you any sense? You just climb back in that kite and get out of here. How do you think Tom and I would feel? We hate funerals.”
“Aw, it’s not that bad,” Scotty said.
“No? Except for the minor miracle of Rick carrying a scout knife, you’dbe needing a funeral. Don’t forget that!”
“Well be safe,” Rick persisted. “We’ll stick close to the plant, and we won’t get into a corner. Please, Doug.”
“How about the nighttime?Going to sit up all night with shotguns on your knees?”
“Well be all right as long as there are people around,” Scotty insisted.
“I suppose so,” Doug said, “but there won’t be people around after working hours and we haven’t room to put you up in the hut.”
Rick saw that the young engineer was weakening. “Well go back to Spindrift at night,” he suggested swiftly.“How about that?”
“Illthinkabout it,” Doug said. “Anyway, you can come in and have breakfast with me.” To the guards, he added: “You fellows can knock off now. I’ll see you tonight.”
In the Quonset hut, he grinned at them. “Tom will break my neck, but I have to admitit’s nice having you around. If you go home at night I suppose it will be all right.”
“We will,” Scotty assured him. “Gosh,Doug, thanks. I was sure you wouldn’t even let us in the place.
Where’s Tom?”
“He and Tony went toBridgeport to pick up the men. We rented a couple of trucks. They should be here soon.”
Rick to
ok a seat on a bunk.“Anything exciting happen over the week end?”
“Nothing much.We rechecked the pump last night, and I got the fractionator panel rebuilt. If everything goes smoothly from now on, we may make out. By the way, Carstairs agreed to let us have the fractionators Friday afternoon. We had to sign a demand note, but we figured that was all right.”
“What’s a demand note?” Scotty asked.
“Payable on demand.Our other notes were dated ahead, but this one comes due when they ask for the money. They’re just protecting themselves, I suppose. Still . . .”
“Did you call the police?” Rick asked.
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“Yes. They’re standing by to escort the trucks here.”
“Tell Doug about Tony,” Scotty said.
“What about Tony?” Doug asked quickly.
Rick outlined their suspicions, mentioning the difficulty of starting the engine and adding that apparently only Tony knew they would be alone at the plant that night. “Of course we haven’t any proof, but it looks queer,” he finished. “What do you know about Tony, anyway?”
“Not much,” Doug agreed. “Still, he’s worked hard for us and I’d hate to believe he’d have any part in a thing like that.”
“Don’t say anything to him,” Rick suggested. “Well all keep an eye on him.”
Doug nodded,then stood up as the sound of a truck engine broke the stillness outside the hut. “They must be coming now.”
They reached the gate just as the truck driven by Tom turned in, escorted by a State Police trooper on a motorcycle.
“Not a bit of trouble,” the trooper called. “But well take no chances. A couple of men will meet your trucks tonight, at five.”
Doug thanked him, and he rode off as the other truck came through the gate, driven by Tony. Tom parked his truck and got out. He started with surprise as he saw the two boys.
Rick caught sight of a big, blond worker leaping from the truck and he grabbed Scotty’s arm.
“Listen! Isn’t that the big guy we saw in Zukky’s that first day we landed?”
Scottvmoved past a few workmen for a clearer look.
“The same one,” he agreed. “Say, do you think . . .”