CHAPTER XX

Dawn Attack

Shouts of joy rippled across the water from Biff and Li to their fathers. The boys hopped into the dinghy and sent it fairly flying over the waves to shore.

The first thing to do was to get Dr. Weber on the boat. The old man’s stout, fierce spirit seemed to leave him once he reached the anchorage. He had exhausted his reserve strength. He was near the end of his remarkable endurance.

The others were ferried to the _Easy Action_. Dr. Weber was bedded down. Hot soup was prepared for the aged scientist, and shortly he was sleeping like a baby, a quite wrinkled baby, true, but his sleep was as sound and peaceful as that of a one-year-old.

Biff quickly filled his father in on what had happened. He saved until the last the discovery of the _Sea Islander_.

“But I think maybe Perez Soto has spotted her, too,” Biff had to add in conclusion. “I think he must have spotted us when Li was diving.”

Thomas Brewster turned to Mr. Mahenili. “That must have been why Perez Soto went away, giving us the chance to rescue Dr. Weber.”

“I’m sure it was,” the Hawaiian answered.

“Now what we’ve got to do is get back to the _Sea Islander_ before Perez Soto does. We’ve got to hook on to the sunken boat somehow. Then we’ve got to get into her cabin and locate that metal box with the cesium sample and the map showing where the field is located.”

Brewster paused. He had to think this thing through clearly now. There could be no mistakes, no more risks. They would have to get a professional diver.

“Hank, where is the nearest town to here—a place where you can hire a professional diver? Someone with an aqualung?”

“I imagine Hilo would be the nearest place.”

“How far is that from where we are?”

“Oh, I’d say roughly seventy-five miles.”

“Any way of getting there, aside from walking?”

“Sure, Tom. I would have to walk inland until I reached the Wamalahoa Highway—that’s the road which circles the island. I know I could rent a car or taxi at Honupo Landing. Not much more than an hour’s drive from there into Hilo.”

“Right. What do you say to this? We’ll put you ashore right now. You get to Hilo. Hire a skin diver and get back here as early tomorrow morning as you can. We’ve got to get back to the _Sea Islander_ right away. How far up the coast is she, Biff?”

“An hour. Maybe a little more. That’s pushing the yawl at full speed.”

“All right. Biff, you row Mr. Mahenili ashore. Li and I will make ready. Get back fast.”

“Aye, aye, sir.” Biff grinned at his father. It was good to have someone else make the decisions for a change. And when Biff’s father went into action, he did so with a snap and precision that commanded respect.

It didn’t take Biff long to set Mr. Mahenili ashore. The dinghy was quickly secured once the boy returned, and the _Easy Action_ headed up coast at full throttle.

“Think we can find the place in the dark, Biff?” his father asked.

“It will take a bit of doing, Dad. But we set a marking buoy over the _Sea Islander_, attached to one of her halyards. Good thing we did, too. We’d never be able to locate a boat on the bottom at night.”

It took more time than they had calculated to locate the marking buoy. They had to cruise the area for more than an hour before a shout from Li told them they had found it.

“Now the problem is,” Mr. Brewster said, “how are we going to hook our anchor into the sunken ship? Once we do that, there can be no doubt as to our salvage rights.”

“How about this, Dad?” Biff suggested. “Let’s drop the hook until we can feel her just touch bottom. Then we can run back and forth over the _Sea Islander_ until we feel the anchor’s points sink into her side.”

“Good. Excellent suggestion.” Biff’s father acted at once. He brought the _Easy Action_ about and aimed her bow directly at the marking buoy. They felt the anchor drag as it struck the submerged sloop. But on their first pass the hook didn’t catch. Mr. Brewster reversed his course. This time the hook sunk into the side of the sunken _Sea Islander_ and held. Mr. Brewster revved up the engine, and the _Easy Action_ tugged at her sunken sister.

“That ought to set the anchor in her side but good,” Mr. Brewster said. He cut the engine. “Try the winch, Biff. See if you can raise the anchor. I want to make sure we’re really caught onto her.”

Biff did so. He put all his strength into trying to turn the winch. The anchor was set. The _Easy Action_ and the _Sea Islander_ were joined by a stout, thick hawser.

It was late. Everyone, feeling happy about their success, was ready to turn in.

“Tired, Li?” Biff asked. His answer was a quick nod of his friend’s head as Li headed below for the comfort of his berth.

“I’m going to sleep on deck again tonight, Dad. Perez Soto’s boat is in these waters. I don’t think he’ll try anything tonight, but you never can tell.”

“All right, Biff. I agree. We can’t take any chances with success so near at hand.”

Biff rolled himself up in a sleeping bag and was asleep the minute he finished zipping it up. Early in the morning, an hour or more before sunrise, he was wide awake. He lay still, staring up at the sky. Stars covered it like a million white dots on a field of navy blue. A quarter moon, looking like an orange section, still hung in the sky.

A soft splash attracted Biff’s attention. He rose on one elbow and looked in the direction of the noise. It came again.

“Could be a fish jumping,” he told himself. Adjusting his eyes to the night, Biff peered more keenly toward the sound. He raised his glance, and his heart started thudding. Lying at anchor, not more than a quarter of a mile away, was the outline of a power boat. Biff was sure it was the same one which had tried to swamp the _Easy Action_.

Biff crept noiselessly to the stem of the yawl. He went below. Reaching his father’s berth, he shook him gently.

“Dad, Dad,” he whispered softly. “Wake up. I think someone’s trying to board the boat.”

Thomas Brewster was out of his berth in an instant. Li, hearing the noise, leaped out of his bunk, too.

Silently the three crept back to the cockpit. They raised their heads over the gunnel.

“Listen, Dad. Listen carefully. I heard a noise; sounded like a fish jumping. Right over there.”

The three strained their ears. They heard the sound again. Then they saw what was causing it. A man was swimming toward the _Easy Action_. They could make out his head moving slowly, but steadily along, coming toward the yawl.

When the swimmer was some twenty feet from the _Easy Action_, the pale light of the moon was reflected by an object the swimmer was holding in his mouth. In the brief instant of the gleam, the object became clear to them all. It was a long knife.