further back were several small sheds and piles of containers, including barrels of diesel fuel. An electric generator stood among the other items.
"Nobody home!" Bud said.
"But I’ve got the distorter on just in case," Tom commented. "Now let’s pay a visit to shore."
The young inventor had set the jetmarine’s controls to respond to a remote-control transmitter which he held in his hand. At his signal, the Nemo moved toward the dock area a foot at a time, turning its length parallel to it just before gently bumping against it. The boys easily jumped down onto the surface of hewn rock.
They quickly surveyed what they could of this subsurface pirates’ cove, but they found little of use.
"I’d say this was mostly just a warehouse for them," Bud observed. "Maybe a place to refuel and repair their sub."
"Guess so," said his companion, disappointment in his voice. "Let’s look in that last shed, then get out of here."
The last shed was made of metal like the others, and about seven feet square. Using some tools from the jetmarine the boys pried open its lock and stepped inside. There was only a single item within it, but that item made Tom’s heart leap—a cot!
"I’m sure someone was imprisoned here!" he exclaimed.
"If it was Hank Sterling, I’ll bet he found a way to leave a message!" Bud said encouragingly. They frantically scanned the walls, the floor, even the ceiling, and Tom pulled the cushion off the metal frame of the cot and examined it. "Nothing!" he said in disgust.
"Wait, Tom…" cautioned Bud. He was examining a flange in the cot frame that had been covered by the pad. "Look here!"
Some marks had been scratched into the rusty frame, as if by the edge of a coin or the point of a nail. They read "HASNTC" and were followed by several numerals.
"HA S—Hank Sterling!" cried Tom. "And NTC could stand for Nantic !"
Bud clapped Tom on the back. "Here’s some more good news, skipper—those numbers match the date the Nantic was attacked!"
They returned to the Nemo in a run. Now at last they knew Hank Sterling had survived the sinking of the Nantic and was probably being held captive, perhaps on the Sea Snipers’ submarine!
After careful decompression, the boys guided the jetmarine back into the underwater channel.
"What if we run into our pal Tentacle Tim again?" asked Bud.
"All we can do is try to slip through his grip," Tom answered.
The darkness suddenly lessened as they emerged from the cave into the aqua-ravine. Before, the crevice had been mostly in shadow, but now the sun was shining down into it, filling it with deep blue-green.
"Oh no!" gasped Bud.
Dozens of giant squid floated, whirled, or jetted through the abyss, their vivid brown and red colorations making them stand out all the more against the charcoal-colored rock. Like the outlaw patrons of a wild west bar, the creatures turned their vast oval eyes toward the intruding Nemo . Bud could almost hear the clicking of their parrotlike beaks.
One fellow, the largest of all, darted toward them. In fact, he seemed intent on taking a bite out of the jetmarine’s nose-dome! Bud flinched back—but so did the squid at the same instant, retreating a few yards.
"Am I just plain ugly, or—?"
"I turned up the sonar waves to full blast," explained Tom. "We can’t hear them, but they can feel them."
"Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea, skipper," said Bud. "I think the squid squad is getting a little perturbed!" Though Bud was joking in his usual way, the situation was like something from a horror movie. The multi-armed creatures began swirling about, as if positioning themselves for a massed attack. Though Tom and Bud knew that the sea-dwellers were almost brainless, the effect was still unnerving.
"Here comes Daddy Longlegs again!" Bud groaned.
At that moment a new player entered the game! A sleek, ribbonlike form shot through the line of squid, aiming directly at the giant menacing the Nemo .
"Electric eel!" Tom exclaimed.
At the
"Nobody home!" Bud said.
"But I’ve got the distorter on just in case," Tom commented. "Now let’s pay a visit to shore."
The young inventor had set the jetmarine’s controls to respond to a remote-control transmitter which he held in his hand. At his signal, the Nemo moved toward the dock area a foot at a time, turning its length parallel to it just before gently bumping against it. The boys easily jumped down onto the surface of hewn rock.
They quickly surveyed what they could of this subsurface pirates’ cove, but they found little of use.
"I’d say this was mostly just a warehouse for them," Bud observed. "Maybe a place to refuel and repair their sub."
"Guess so," said his companion, disappointment in his voice. "Let’s look in that last shed, then get out of here."
The last shed was made of metal like the others, and about seven feet square. Using some tools from the jetmarine the boys pried open its lock and stepped inside. There was only a single item within it, but that item made Tom’s heart leap—a cot!
"I’m sure someone was imprisoned here!" he exclaimed.
"If it was Hank Sterling, I’ll bet he found a way to leave a message!" Bud said encouragingly. They frantically scanned the walls, the floor, even the ceiling, and Tom pulled the cushion off the metal frame of the cot and examined it. "Nothing!" he said in disgust.
"Wait, Tom…" cautioned Bud. He was examining a flange in the cot frame that had been covered by the pad. "Look here!"
Some marks had been scratched into the rusty frame, as if by the edge of a coin or the point of a nail. They read "HASNTC" and were followed by several numerals.
"HA S—Hank Sterling!" cried Tom. "And NTC could stand for Nantic !"
Bud clapped Tom on the back. "Here’s some more good news, skipper—those numbers match the date the Nantic was attacked!"
They returned to the Nemo in a run. Now at last they knew Hank Sterling had survived the sinking of the Nantic and was probably being held captive, perhaps on the Sea Snipers’ submarine!
After careful decompression, the boys guided the jetmarine back into the underwater channel.
"What if we run into our pal Tentacle Tim again?" asked Bud.
"All we can do is try to slip through his grip," Tom answered.
The darkness suddenly lessened as they emerged from the cave into the aqua-ravine. Before, the crevice had been mostly in shadow, but now the sun was shining down into it, filling it with deep blue-green.
"Oh no!" gasped Bud.
Dozens of giant squid floated, whirled, or jetted through the abyss, their vivid brown and red colorations making them stand out all the more against the charcoal-colored rock. Like the outlaw patrons of a wild west bar, the creatures turned their vast oval eyes toward the intruding Nemo . Bud could almost hear the clicking of their parrotlike beaks.
One fellow, the largest of all, darted toward them. In fact, he seemed intent on taking a bite out of the jetmarine’s nose-dome! Bud flinched back—but so did the squid at the same instant, retreating a few yards.
"Am I just plain ugly, or—?"
"I turned up the sonar waves to full blast," explained Tom. "We can’t hear them, but they can feel them."
"Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea, skipper," said Bud. "I think the squid squad is getting a little perturbed!" Though Bud was joking in his usual way, the situation was like something from a horror movie. The multi-armed creatures began swirling about, as if positioning themselves for a massed attack. Though Tom and Bud knew that the sea-dwellers were almost brainless, the effect was still unnerving.
"Here comes Daddy Longlegs again!" Bud groaned.
At that moment a new player entered the game! A sleek, ribbonlike form shot through the line of squid, aiming directly at the giant menacing the Nemo .
"Electric eel!" Tom exclaimed.
At the
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