,,young ,,readers ,atom ,mystery ,,young ,,atom ,,detective ,by ,,charles ,,coombs ,,illustrated ,,by ,g4 ,,dean ,,lewis ,publishers ,,grosset ,,dunlap1 ,,inc4 ,new ,york #aieh ,,by ,,lantern ,,press1 ,,inc4 ,under the title3 8,,young ,,atom ,,detective0 ,,by ,,arrangement ,,with ,,lantern ,,press1 ,,inc4 ,,manufactured ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,of ,,america ,,contents ,,chapter ,,one #aa ,,chapter ,,two #bg ,,chapter ,,three #de ,,chapter ,,four #eh ,,chapter ,,five #gb ,,chapter ,,six #hi ,,chapter ,,seven #ajg ,,chapter ,,eight #aag ,,chapter ,,nine #ace ,,chapter ,,ten #aea ,,chapter ,,eleven #afa ,,chapter ,,twelve #agb ,,illustrations ,page 8,hi1 there10 ,eddie greeted1 8,any luck80 #ea 8,come on1 ,eddie1 let's go back40 #ajd ,the cylinder was simple to locate4 #acg 444 he saw the small rubber boat moving in4 #agi ,,young ,,readers ,atom ,mystery ,,chapter ,,one ,it was only a dream4 ,eddie ,taylor would like to have finished it1 but the bar of morning sunlight poking in under the window shade pried his eyes open4 ,the dream fled4 ,eddie kicked off the sheet1 swung his feet to the floor1 and groped under the bed for his tennis shoes4 ,he heard his father's heavy footsteps in the hallway4 ,they stopped outside of his bedroom door4 8,you awake1 ,eddie80 8,i'm awake1 ,dad10 ,eddie answered4 8,breakfast's ready4 ,get washed and dressed40 8,be right there10 ,eddie said4 ,then1 remembering the dream1 he added1 8,oh1 ,dad1 is it all right if ,i use the ,geiger counter today80 ,mr4 ,taylor opened the door4 ,he was a big man1 broad-shouldered and still thin-waisted4 ,eddie found it easy to believe the stories he had heard about his father being an outstanding football player in his time4 ,even his glasses and the gray hair at his temples didn't add much age1 although ,eddie knew it had been eighteen years since his father had played his last game of college football4 8,you may use the ,geiger counter any time you want1 ,eddie10 ,mr4 ,taylor said1 8as long as you take good care of it4 ,you figured out where you can find some uranium ore80 ,eddie smiled sheepishly4 8,i--,i had a dream10 he said4 8,plain as day4 ,it was out on ,cedar ,point4 ,i was walking along over some rocks4 ,suddenly the ,geiger counter began clicking like everything40 8,cedar ,point80 his father asked4 8,i've never been out there4 ,but1 from what ,i hear1 there are plenty of rock formations4 ,might be worth a try1 at that4 ,you never can tell where you might strike some radioactivity40 8,do you believe in dreams1 ,dad80 8,well1 now1 that's a tough question1 son4 ,i can't say that ,i really do4 ,still1 one clue is as good as another when it comes to hunting uranium ore1 ,i guess4 ,but right now we'd better get out to breakfast before your mother scalps us4 ,hurry it up40 ,his father turned and went back down the hallway toward the kitchen4 ,eddie pulled on his trousers and ,t shirt and went into the bathroom4 ,he washed hurriedly1 knowing that even if he missed a spot or two1 he was fairly safe4 ,during the summer months his freckles got so thick and dark that it would take a magnifying glass to detect any small smudges of dirt hiding among them4 ,he plastered some water on his dark-red hair1 pushed a comb through it1 and shrugged as it snapped back almost to its original position4 ,oh1 well1 he had tried4 ,he grinned into the mirror1 reached a finger into his mouth1 and unhooked the small rubber bands from his tooth braces4 ,he dropped them into the waste basket4 ,he'd put fresh ones in after breakfast4 ,he brushed his teeth carefully1 taking particular pains around the metal braces4 ,the tooth-straightening orthodontist had warned him about letting food gather around the metal clamps4 ,it could start cavities4 ,finished1 ,eddie went out to breakfast4 8,good morning1 dear10 his mother greeted him1 handing him a plate of eggs4 8,hi1 ,mom10 ,eddie said4 8,gotta hurry4 ,big day today40 8,so your father says4 ,but ,i'm afraid your big day will have to start with sorting out and tying up those newspapers and magazines that have been collecting in the garage40 8,aw1 ,mom--0 8,eddie1 ,i asked you to do it three days ago4 ,remember8 ,and the ,goodwill truck comes around today40 8,but1 ,mom--0 8,no arguments1 son10 his father put in calmly but firmly4 8,school vacation doesn't mean that your chores around here are on vacation1 too4 ,get at it right away1 and you'll still have time to hunt your uranium4 8,well10 ,mr4 ,taylor added1 excusing himself from the table1 8,i'd better be getting over to school4 ,i'm expecting to receive shipment of a new radioisotope today40 ,the very word excited ,eddie4 ,in fact1 anything having to do with atomic science excited him4 ,he knew something about isotopes--pronounced eye-suh-tope4 ,you couldn't have a father who was head of the atomic-science department at ,oceanview ,college without picking up a little knowledge along the way4 ,eddie knew that a radioisotope was a material which had been 8cooked0 in an atomic reactor until it was 8hot0 with radioactivity4 ,when carefully controlled1 the radiation stored up in such isotopes was used in many beneficial ways4 8,why don't college professors get summer vacations1 too80 ,eddie asked4 ,one reason for asking that particular question was to keep from prying deeper into the subject of the radioisotope4 ,much of his father's work at ,oceanview ,college was of a secret nature4 ,eddie had learned not to ask questions about it4 ,his father usually volunteered any information he wanted known1 so ,eddie stuck to questions which could and would be answered4 8,we get vacations10 his father said4 8,but--well1 my work is a little different1 you know4 ,at the speed atomic science is moving today1 we simply can't afford to waste time4 ,but don't worry4 ,we'll take a week or so off before school starts in the fall4 ,maybe head for the mountains with our tent and sleeping bags40 8,and ,geiger counter80 ,eddie asked eagerly4 8,wouldn't think of leaving it home10 his father said1 smiling4 8,by the way1 ,i put new batteries in it the other day4 ,take it easy on them4 ,remember to switch it off when you're not actually using it40 8,i will10 ,eddie promised4 ,he had forgotten several times before1 weakening the batteries4 ,it took ,eddie over an hour to sort out the newspapers and magazines in the garage1 tie them in neat bundles1 and place them out on the front curb for the ,goodwill pickup4 ,by that time the sun was high overhead4 ,it had driven off the coolness which the ocean air had provided during the earlier hours4 8,anything else1 ,mom80 he asked1 returning to the house and getting the ,geiger counter out of the closet4 ,he edged toward the back door before his mother had much time to think of something more for him to do4 8,i guess not1 dear10 ,mrs4 ,taylor said1 smiling over his hasty retreat4 8,what are you going to do80 8,think ,i'll do a little prospecting10 ,eddie said4 8,where80 8,probably in the hills beyond the college10 ,eddie said4 ,the more he thought about it1 the more he realized it was a little late in the day to go to ,cedar ,point4 ,the best way to get there was by rowboat across ,moon ,bay1 and that was too long a row to be starting now4 ,besides1 there were plenty of other places around the outskirts of ,oceanview where likely looking rock formations invited search with a ,geiger counter4 8,are you going alone80 his mother asked4 8,oh1 guess ,i'll stop by and see if ,teena wants to go10 ,eddie answered casually4 ,he tried to make it sound as though he would be doing ,teena ,ross a big favor4 ,after all1 she was only a girl4 ,eddie didn't figure a girl would make a very good uranium prospecting partner1 but most of the fellows he knew were away at camp1 or vacationing with their folks1 or something like that4 8,she'll enjoy it1 ,i'm sure10 his mother said4 8,i'll take ,sandy1 too10 ,eddie said4 8,he needs the exercise40 8,that's a good idea1 dear4 ,be back in time for an early dinner40 ,eddie let ,sandy off his chain4 ,the taffy-colored cocker spaniel yipped wildly over his freedom1 racing back and forth as ,eddie started down the street4 ,christina ,ross--whom everybody called ,teena--lived at the far end of the block4 ,eddie went around to the side door of the light-green stucco house and knocked4 8,oh1 hi1 ,eddie10 ,teena greeted him1 appearing at the screen door4 8,i was hoping you'd come over40 8,well1 ,i--,i just happened to be going by10 ,eddie said4 8,thought you might want to watch me do a little prospecting with the ,geiger counter4 ,but maybe you're too busy40 ,that's how to handle it1 ,eddie thought4 ,don't act anxious4 ,let ,teena be anxious4 ,then maybe she'll even offer to bring along a couple of sandwiches or some fruit4 8,oh1 ,i'd love to go10 ,teena said eagerly1 8but ,i'm just finishing the dishes4 ,come on in40 8,i'm in kind of a hurry40 8,i'll only be a minute40 ,she pushed the screen door open for him4 8,i'll make us some sandwiches40 8,stay here1 ,sandy10 ,eddie said4 8,sit40 ,the dog minded1 although he looked a bit rebellious4 ,eddie went inside and followed ,teena to the kitchen4 ,he felt triumphant about the sandwiches4 ,teena tossed him a dish towel4 8,you dry them10 she said4 8,who1 me80 8,why not8 ,you're in a hurry1 aren't you8 ,i can make the sandwiches while you dry the silverware40 ,she smiled1 putting tiny crinkles in her small1 slightly upturned nose4 ,she wore her hair in a pony tail4 ,even though her hair was blond all year long1 it seemed even lighter in the summer4 ,eddie couldn't tell whether the sun had faded it1 or whether her deep summer tan simply made her hair look lighter by contrast4 ,maybe both4 8,hello1 ,eddie10 ,mrs4 ,ross said1 coming into the kitchen4 8,looks like ,teena put you to work40 8,she always does1 ,mrs4 ,ross10 ,eddie said1 pretending great injury4 8,don't know why ,i keep coming over here40 8,i know10 ,teena spoke up quickly4 8,it's because we're friends1 that's why40 ,eddie knew she was right4 ,they were friends--good friends4 ,they had been ever since ,eddie's family had moved to ,oceanview and his father had become head of the college's atomic-science department4 ,in fact1 their parents were close friends1 also4 ,teena's father was chief engineer for the ,acme ,aviation ,company1 one of the coast town's largest manufacturing concerns4 8,well1 ,i'll be glad to finish them1 ,eddie10 ,mrs4 ,ross offered4 8,i know how boys detest doing dishes40 8,oh1 ,i don't really mind1 ,mrs4 ,ross10 ,eddie said4 8,besides1 ,teena's making sandwiches to take with us40 8,another prospecting trip80 ,teena's mother glanced at the ,geiger counter which ,eddie had set carefully on the dinette table4 8,i still think there must be some uranium around here10 ,eddie insisted4 8,and we can find it if anyone can40 8,i agree10 ,mrs4 ,ross said4 8,but even if you don't find it1 you both seem to enjoy your hikes40 8,oh1 yes1 it's fun1 ,mother10 ,teena replied1 wrapping wax paper around a sandwich4 8,guess ,i'm ready4 ,i've got a bone for ,sandy1 too40 8,don't go too far out from town10 ,mrs4 ,ross cautioned1 as ,eddie picked up the ,geiger counter4 8,and stick near the main roads4 ,you know the rules40 8,we sure do1 ,mrs4 ,ross10 ,eddie assured her4 8,and we'll be back early40 ,they walked past the college campus1 and toward the rocky foothills beyond4 ,at various rock mounds and outcroppings1 ,eddie switched on the ,geiger counter4 ,the needle of the dial on the black box wavered slightly4 ,a slow clicking came through the earphones1 but ,eddie knew these indicated no more than a normal background count4 ,there were slight traces of radioactivity in almost all earth or rocks4 ,it was in the air itself1 caused by mysterious and ever-present cosmic rays1 so there was always a mild background count when the ,geiger counter was turned on2 but to mean anything1 the needle had to jump far ahead on the gauge1 and the clicking through the earphones had to speed up until it sounded almost like bacon frying in a hot skillet4 ,there was none of that today4 ,after they had hiked and searched most of the forenoon1 ,eddie said1 8,we might as well call it a day1 ,teena4 ,doesn't seem to be anything out here40 8,it's all right with me10 ,teena agreed1 plucking foxtails from ,sandy's ears4 8,pretty hot1 anyway4 ,let's eat our sandwiches and go back home40 8,all right10 ,eddie said4 8,you know1 one of these days ,i'd like to go out to ,cedar ,point and scout around4 ,maybe we'll find something there40 ,then he told ,teena about his dream4 ,teena smiled4 8,a dream sure isn't much to go on10 she said1 8but they say it's pretty out on ,cedar ,point4 ,i'll go any time you want to1 ,eddie40 ,she handed him one of the sandwiches4 ,it was midafternoon by the time they arrived back at ,teena's house4 ,they worked a while on a new jigsaw puzzle ,teena had received on a recent birthday4 ,then ,eddie said good-by and went on down the street toward his own home4 ,after putting ,sandy on his long chain and filling his water dish1 ,eddie went in the back door4 ,he put the ,geiger counter in the closet and went into the kitchen4 8,what's for dinner1 ,mom80 he asked4 ,mrs4 ,taylor turned from the sink4 ,eddie knew at once1 just seeing the expression on his mother's face1 that something was wrong4 8,dinner80 his mother said absently4 8,it's not quite four o'clock yet1 ,eddie4 ,besides1 dinner may be a little late today40 8,but this morning you said it would be early10 ,eddie reminded her1 puzzled4 8,this morning ,i didn't know what might happen40 ,then ,eddie heard the sound of his father's voice coming from the den4 ,there was a strange urgent tone in it4 ,the door to the den was open4 ,eddie went through the dining room and glanced into the den4 ,his father sat stiffly behind his homemade desk1 talking rapidly into the telephone4 ,eddie caught only the last few sketchy words4 ,then his father placed the telephone in its cradle1 glanced up1 and saw ,eddie4 ,if there had been even the slightest doubt in ,eddie's mind about something being wrong1 it vanished now4 ,mr4 ,taylor looked years older than he had that very morning4 ,worry lay deep in his eyes4 ,he fumbled thoughtfully with a pencil1 turning it end over end on his desk4 8,hello1 son10 he said4 ,he didn't even ask whether ,eddie had discovered any uranium ore that day4 ,always before1 he had shown genuine interest in ,eddie's prospecting trips4 8,dad10 ,eddie said anxiously1 8what--what's the matter80 8,it shows that much1 does it1 son80 his father said tiredly4 8,what's wrong1 ,dad80 ,eddie prompted4 8,or can't you tell me80 ,mr4 ,taylor leaned back4 8,quite a bit's wrong1 ,eddie10 he said1 8and ,i guess there's no reason why ,i shouldn't tell you4 ,it'll be in the evening papers1 anyway40 8,evening papers80 8,eddie1 you remember me mentioning this morning about that radioisotope shipment ,i was expecting today80 8,i remember10 ,eddie said4 8,did it come80 8,it did--and it didn't10 his father said4 8,what does that mean1 ,dad80 ,eddie asked1 puzzled4 8,the delivery truck arrived at the school with it10 his father explained1 8but while the driver was inquiring where to put it1 the container disappeared40 8,disappeared80 8,the radioisotope was stolen1 ,eddie10 his father said slowly4 8,stolen right out from under our noses60 ,,chapter ,,two ,at the moment1 ,eddie didn't pry for further information on the theft of the valuable radioactive isotope4 ,his father had plenty on his mind1 as it was4 ,the main information was in the evening ,globe1 which ,eddie rushed out to get as soon as he heard it plop onto the front porch4 ,he took the newspaper to his father to read first4 ,after having finished1 ,mr4 ,taylor handed the paper to ,eddie and leaned back thoughtfully in his chair4 8,they've got it pretty straight1 at that10 ,mr4 ,taylor said1 8but ,i'm afraid this is going to stir up quite a bit of trouble40 8,it wasn't your fault1 was it1 ,dad80 ,eddie defended4 8,it was as much mine as anybody's1 son10 his father said4 8,probably more so4 ,after all1 ,i am head of the department4 ,i knew about the shipment4 ,that should make it my responsibility to see that it was properly received and placed in our atomic-materials storage vault4 ,but there is little point in trying to place the blame on anyone4 ,i'm willing to accept that part of it4 ,the important thing is that we recover that radioisotope4 ,not only is it of a secret nature1 but it is also dangerously radioactive if improperly handled40 8,but--but wasn't it in a safe container80 ,eddie asked4 8,of course10 his father said4 8,there were only two ounces of it in a fifty-pound lead capsule4 ,as long as it remains in that capsule it's safe4 ,as you know1 the lead prevents any radiation from escaping4 ,out of that capsule1 however1 those two ounces of radioisotope can be very dangerous40 8,fifty pounds10 ,eddie said thoughtfully4 8,that's a pretty big thing to steal1 isn't it80 8,not when it's lead1 son10 his father replied4 8,not much bigger than a two-quart milk bottle1 in fact40 8,even at that1 no kid could have taken it10 ,eddie said4 8,kid80 ,his father smiled thinly4 8,we don't think it was any kid1 ,eddie4 ,not by a long shot4 ,the whole thing was carefully planned and carefully carried out4 ,it was not the work of amateurs40 ,eddie read the newspaper account4 ,the small truck from ,drake ,ridge1 where one of the country's newest atomic reactors was located1 had arrived earlier than expected at ,oceanview ,college4 ,it had backed up to the receiving dock where all of the college supplies were delivered4 ,since deliveries during vacation months were few1 there was no one on the dock when the truck arrived4 ,a half hour later1 when the delivery was expected1 there would have been4 ,the truck's early arrival had caught them unprepared4 ,the driver had left the truck and had gone around the building to the front office4 ,it had taken him less than five minutes to locate the receiving-dock foreman4 ,together1 they had returned through the small warehouse and opened the rear door onto the dock4 ,during that short time someone had pried open the heavy padlock on the delivery truck's rear door and had stolen the fifty-pound lead capsule containing the radioisotope4 ,dusty footprints on the pavement around the rear of the truck indicated that two men had carried out the theft4 ,a heavy iron pry bar had been dropped at the rear of the truck after the lock was sprung4 ,it was a common type used by carpenters4 ,there were no fingerprints or other identifying marks on it4 ,the footprints were barely visible and of no help other than to indicate that two men were involved in the crime4 8,dad10 ,eddie asked1 looking up from the paper1 8how could anyone carry away something weighing fifty pounds without being noticed80 8,chances are they had their car parked nearby10 his father said4 8,as you know1 there are no fences or gates around ,oceanview ,college4 ,people come and go as they please4 ,as a matter of fact1 there are always quite a few automobiles parked around the shipping and receiving building1 and parking space is scarce even during summer sessions4 ,anyone could park and wait there unnoticed4 ,or they could walk around without attracting any undue attention40 8,but1 ,dad10 ,eddie continued1 8how would the men know that the delivery truck would arrive a half hour early80 8,they wouldn't10 his father said4 8,they may have had another plan4 ,the way things worked out1 they didn't need to use it4 ,the early delivery and the business of leaving the truck unguarded for a few minutes probably gave them a better opportunity than they had expected4 ,at least1 they took quick advantage of it40 8,i don't see what anyone would want with a radioisotope10 ,eddie said4 8,maybe they figured there was something else inside of that lead capsule40 8,that's unlikely1 son10 ,mr4 ,taylor said4 8,believe me1 it was no common theft4 ,nor were the thieves ordinary thieves4 ,that isotope was a new one4 ,a very secret one4 ,our job at the college was to conduct various tests with it in order to find out exactly how it could best be put to use as a cure for disease1 or for sterilizing food1 or even as a source of power40 8,power80 ,eddie said4 8,boy1 it must have been a strong isotope40 ,he knew that the strength of radioisotopes could be controlled largely by the length of time they were allowed to 8cook0 in an atomic reactor and soak up radioactivity4 8,we weren't planning to run a submarine with it10 his father said4 8,it wasn't that strong4 ,still1 it doesn't take so very much radioactivity to make two ounces of an isotope quite powerful--and quite deadly4 ,i only hope whoever stole it knows what he's doing4 ,however1 ,i'm sure he does40 8,you mean he must have been an atomic scientist himself80 ,eddie asked4 8,let's just say he--or both of them--have enough training in the subject to know how to handle that isotope safely10 ,mr4 ,taylor said4 8,but1 ,dad10 ,eddie wondered1 8what could they do with it80 8,they could study it10 his father explained4 8,at least1 they could send it somewhere to be broken down and studied4 ,being a new isotope1 the formula is of great value40 8,what do you mean1 send it somewhere80 ,eddie asked4 8,perhaps to some other country40 8,then--then you mean whoever stole it were spies60 ,eddie exclaimed breathlessly4 8,that's entirely possible10 his father said4 8,in fact1 it's the only logical explanation ,i can think of4 ,people simply don't go around stealing radioactive isotopes without a mighty important reason40 8,dinner's ready10 ,eddie's mother called from the kitchen4 ,during dinner ,eddie wasn't sure just what he was eating4 ,the idea of spies stealing atomic materials kept building up in his mind4 ,by the time dessert was finished1 he was anxious to talk with someone1 yet he knew he shouldn't bother his father with any more questions4 ,he asked if he could go over and visit with ,teena for a while4 8,well1 you were together most of the day10 his mother said1 8but ,i guess it's all right4 ,be back in about an hour1 though40 ,it was a balmy evening4 ,on such evenings1 he and ,teena sometimes walked along the beach barefoot1 collecting sea shells4 ,today ,eddie had no desire to do that4 ,he ran down the block4 ,teena answered his knock4 8,come on in1 ,eddie10 she invited1 seeming surprised to see him4 8,mother and ,i are just finishing dinner40 8,oh1 ,i figured you'd be through by now10 ,eddie apologized1 following her inside4 8,hello1 ,eddie10 ,mrs4 ,ross said1 but she didn't seem as cheerful as usual4 8,good evening1 ,mrs4 ,ross10 ,eddie said4 8,i--,i hope ,i'm not making a pest of myself40 ,he looked around for ,mr4 ,ross1 but ,teena's father apparently hadn't arrived home from ,acme ,aircraft yet4 ,there wasn't a place set for him at the table1 either4 8,you're never a pest1 ,eddie10 ,mrs4 ,ross assured him4 8,i was going to call your mother in a little while about that newspaper write-up40 8,oh1 you read it80 ,eddie said4 8,how could anyone miss it80 ,teena said4 8,right on the front page40 8,i suppose your father is quite concerned over it10 ,teena's mother said4 8,oh1 yes10 ,eddie affirmed4 8,he was the one who ordered the isotope40 8,what's an isotope80 ,teena asked4 8,i'm not sure ,i know1 either10 ,mrs4 ,ross said4 8,maybe we could understand more of what it's all about if you could explain what a radioisotope is1 ,eddie40 8,well10 ,eddie said slowly1 8it's not easy to explain1 but ,i'll try4 ,you know how rare uranium is4 ,there's not nearly enough of it to fill all the needs for radioactive materials4 ,besides1 pure uranium is so powerful and expensive and dangerous to handle that it's not a very good idea to try using it in its true form4 ,so they build an atomic reactor like the one at ,drake ,ridge40 8,we've driven by it10 ,mrs4 ,ross said4 8,my1 it's a big place40 8,i'll say10 ,eddie agreed4 8,of course1 only one building holds the reactor itself4 ,it's the biggest building near the center40 8,i remember it10 ,teena said4 8,well1 the reactor is about four stories high10 ,eddie went on4 8,they call it a uranium #8pile4' ,it's made up of hundreds and hundreds of graphite bricks4 ,that's where they get the name #8pile'--from brick pile4 ,anyway1 scattered around in between the bricks are small bits of uranium4 ,uranium atoms are radioactive4 ,that is1 they keep splitting up and sending out rays40 8,why do they do that80 ,teena asked4 8,it's just the way nature made uranium1 ,i guess10 ,eddie said4 8,most atoms stay in one piece1 although they move around lickety-split all of the time4 ,uranium atoms not only move around1 but they break apart4 ,they shoot out little particles called neutrons4 ,these neutrons hit other atoms and split them apart1 sending out more neutrons4 ,it's a regular chain reaction40 8,i've heard of chain reactions10 ,mrs4 ,ross said4 8,well1 with all of the splitting up and moving around of the uranium atoms10 ,eddie went on1 8an awful lot of heat builds up4 ,if they don't control it--well1 you've seen pictures of atomic-bomb explosions4 ,that's a chain reaction out of control40 8,out of control is right10 ,teena said4 8,but the atomic piles control the reaction10 ,eddie said4 8,the graphite bricks keep the splitting-up atoms apart so one neutron won't go smashing into other atoms unless they want it to4 ,they have ways of controlling it so that only as much radiation builds up as they want4 ,you can even hear the reactor hum as the radioactive rays go tearing through it4 ,but by careful tending1 the scientists keep the atomic collisions far enough apart so the thing doesn't blow up40 8,boy1 that sounds dangerous10 ,teena said4 8,well1 they know just how to do it10 ,eddie replied4 8,aren't the rays dangerous80 ,mrs4 ,ross asked4 8,i'll say they're dangerous10 ,eddie said4 8,but the whole pile is covered by a shield of concrete about eight feet thick4 ,that keeps the rays from getting out and injuring the workmen40 8,goodness4 ,eight feet is a lot of cement40 8,it takes a lot to stop radioactive atomic particles10 ,eddie explained4 8,especially the gamma rays4 ,they're the fastest and most dangerous1 and the hardest to stop4 ,alpha and beta rays are fairly easy to stop4 ,but the gamma rays are regular high-velocity invisible bullets4 ,they'll go right through a stone wall unless it's plenty thick4 ,of course1 you can't see them4 ,not with even the most powerful microscope in the world40 8,i wouldn't want to work around a place where ,i might get shot at by--by dangerous rays you can't even see10 ,teena said4 8,i would10 ,eddie said4 8,everyone is carefully protected4 ,they see to that4 ,well1 anyway1 if all of those uranium atoms were shooting radioactive rays around inside of that pile and doing nothing1 there would be an awful lot of energy going to waste4 ,so the atomic scientists take certain elements which aren't radioactive1 but can be made radioactive1 and shove small pieces of them into holes drilled in the pile40 8,isn't that dangerous80 ,teena asked4 8,they don't shove them in with their bare hands10 ,eddie said1 trying not to show exasperation4 8,they use long holders to push the small chunks of material into the holes in the reactor4 ,then1 as those uranium atoms keep splitting up and shooting particles around inside of the pile1 some of them smack into the chunks of material1 and stick there4 ,most elements will soak up radiation1 just like a sponge soaks up water40 8,my1 that's interesting1 ,eddie10 ,mrs4 ,ross said4 8,i've seen them do it10 ,eddie said proudly1 then added1 8from behind a protective shield1 of course4 ,when the material has soaked up enough radiation1 they pull it back out4 ,they say it's #8cooked4'0 8,you mean it's hot80 ,teena asked4 8,it's hot10 ,eddie said1 8but not like if it came out of a stove4 ,by hot1 they mean it's radioactive4 ,if you touched it1 or even got near it1 you would get burned1 but you probably wouldn't even know it for a while4 ,it would be a radiation burn4 ,that's a kind of burn you don't feel1 but it destroys your blood cells and tissues1 and--well1 you've had it40 8,so that's what a radioisotope is10 ,mrs4 ,ross said4 8,it's like a sponge4 ,only instead of soaking up water1 it soaks up radiation40 8,that's about it10 ,eddie said4 8,my dad says that as more is learned about the ways to use isotopes1 the whole world is going to be improved4 ,you've heard of radiocobalt for curing cancer4 ,well1 that's an isotope4 ,they make it by cooking cobalt in an atomic reactor4 ,oh1 there are hundreds of different isotopes4 ,like ,i said1 isotopes can be made of most of the elements4 ,and there are over a hundred elements4 ,some soak up a lot of radioactivity1 and are strong and dangerous4 ,others absorb only a little and are pretty safe to use4 ,depends1 too1 on how long they let them cook in the reactor40 8,what kind was the one stolen from the college today80 ,teena asked4 8,dad didn't say exactly10 ,eddie answered1 8except he did say that if whoever took it didn't know what he was doing and opened up the lead capsule1 it could kill him4 ,of course1 even the mild isotopes are deadly if they're not handled right40 8,my goodness1 it is a serious matter1 isn't it80 ,mrs4 ,ross said4 ,eddie nodded4 ,it was even more serious than its threat of danger to anyone who handled it carelessly4 ,it was a new isotope--a secret isotope4 ,his father hadn't said whether it had been developed for curing things or for destroying things4 ,but many radioisotopes could do either2 it depended on how they were used4 ,eddie assumed that anyone who would stoop to stealing isotopes more than likely would be interested in their ability to destroy rather than their ability to benefit mankind4 8,well1 ,i certainly do hope everything works out all right10 ,teena's mother said4 8,so do ,i10 ,teena agreed4 ,eddie glanced at the kitchen clock4 8,oh1 boy10 he said1 8,i'd better be heading back home4 ,i didn't mean to come over here and talk so long40 8,oh1 we're glad you did1 ,eddie10 ,mrs4 ,ross said4 8,i'm afraid too few of us know anything about this atom business40 8,that's right1 ,mrs4 ,ross10 ,eddie agreed4 8,people should talk more and read more about it4 ,after all1 this is an atomic age4 ,we might as well face it4 ,my father says that in horse-and-buggy days everyone knew how to feed a horse and grease a wagon wheel4 ,they knew what was needed to get the work done4 ,but now that atoms are being harnessed to do the work1 not many people even bother to find out what an atom is40 ,mrs4 ,ross smiled4 8,i guess you're right1 ,eddie10 she said1 8but ,i wouldn't quite know how to go about feeding an atom40 8,or greasing one10 ,teena added4 ,eddie laughed4 8,i sure wouldn't want the job of trying to feed a herd of them the size of a period10 he said4 8,did you know that there are about three million billion atoms of carbon in a single period printed at the end of a sentence4 ,that's how small atoms are40 8,three million billion is a lot of something10 a man's voice spoke behind him4 8,what are we talking about1 ,eddie80 8,oh1 hello1 ,mr4 ,ross10 ,eddie said1 turning around and standing up4 8,i didn't hear you come in40 ,teena's father was a medium-sized man with light-brown hair which was getting somewhat thin on top4 ,he was usually quite cheerful and full of fun1 but tonight his face seemed unusually drawn and sober4 ,he stepped to the table1 leaned over1 and gave both ,teena and ,mrs4 ,ross a kiss on the cheek4 8,eddie was telling us about atoms10 ,teena's mother said4 8,did you know there were three million billion of them in a period80 8,how many in a comma80 ,mr4 ,ross said to ,eddie1 then added quickly1 8forget it1 ,eddie4 ,it wasn't very funny4 ,i--,i'm afraid ,i don't feel very funny tonight40 8,sit down1 dear10 ,mrs4 ,ross said4 8,i'll warm your dinner4 ,you didn't sound very cheerful when you called to say you would be late4 ,how did everything go at the plant today80 8,not so good10 ,teena's father said tiredly4 8,in fact1 not good at all40 ,problems4 ,it seemed that everyone had problems1 ,eddie thought1 as he started to leave4 ,,chapter ,,three ,three days later ,eddie learned the nature of the trouble at ,acme ,aircraft ,company4 ,it was midmorning ,saturday4 ,carrying a picnic lunch1 he and ,teena were hiking along the beach toward the distant ,u4,s4 ,coast ,guard lighthouse which stood on a high point overlooking ,moon ,bay4 ,old ,captain ,daniels1 the lightkeeper1 had been a friend of theirs for nearly two years4 ,every once in a while ,teena and ,eddie went to visit 8,cap10 as they fondly called him4 ,teena would put up a picnic lunch which they shared with the kindly old man whose lonely vigil over the light had warned ships off the rocky coast for a good many years4 ,eddie wasn't sure exactly how the conversation got around to ,acme ,aircraft ,company4 ,it seemed that ,teena mentioned something about trouble4 ,eddie asked1 8,what trouble80 8,didn't you read the paper this morning80 ,teena asked4 8,we don't take the morning paper10 ,eddie said4 8,we take the ,globe40 8,the aircraft company has been keeping it quiet10 ,teena said1 8but somehow the news leaked out4 ,it was all in this morning's paper40 ,actually1 ,eddie doubted that he would have noticed it1 even if they had taken the morning paper4 ,the big thing around his house was the disappearance of the radioisotope4 ,no promising clues had been found4 ,the theft of the isotope remained as much a mystery as it had been from the first day4 ,the few times he had seen his father1 he had noticed how much deeper the lines of worry on his face had become4 ,eddie had avoided asking questions1 yet he couldn't help wondering if his father was in danger of losing his job at the college4 ,some of the things his mother had said seemed to hint at the possibility4 ,the newspapers had taken a dim view of the robbery4 ,they protested against the carelessness which would enable the theft1 in broad daylight1 of such a valuable1 secret1 and hazardous thing as a radioactive isotope4 ,the blame1 of course1 fell primarily upon ,mr4 ,taylor's shoulders4 8,eddie10 ,teena said1 8you're not even listening to me40 8,i--,i'm sorry10 ,eddie answered4 8,what did you say80 8,i merely said that some important blueprints are missing from my father's department at ,acme ,aircraft10 ,teena explained4 8,maybe someone put them in the wrong drawer or something10 ,eddie suggested4 8,they've looked everywhere1 ,eddie10 ,teena said4 8,that's why my father's been getting home late every day4 ,they've searched absolutely everywhere40 8,well1 ,i guess they can always make new blueprints10 ,eddie said4 ,he really couldn't see why it was so important1 especially not if you compared it to stolen radioisotopes4 8,that's not the point10 ,teena said sharply4 8,they were top-secret blueprints--something to do with guiding a new missile ,acme ,aircraft is getting ready to make4 ,if the plans were stolen--well1 you know what that could mean40 ,the importance of what ,teena was saying struck ,eddie suddenly4 ,could there be any connection between the missing blueprints and the stolen isotope8 ,the idea sent a chill along ,eddie's spine4 ,perhaps there was a whole spy ring operating around ,oceanview6 ,he mentioned it to ,teena4 8,i thought the same thing10 she said4 8,but1 ,eddie1 we're not at war or anything4 ,it's silly to think there are spies and things like that running around4 ,that's comic-book stuff40 8,not to me1 it isn't10 ,eddie said4 8,there's plenty of spying going on1 war or no war4 ,every once in a while you hear about it40 8,aw1 you're just trying to scare me10 ,teena said4 ,she stopped and picked up a shell1 looked it over1 then skipped it into the surf4 ,sandy chased it1 yipping happily1 but turned and scurried back just ahead of the foaming surf4 ,eddie smiled4 8,maybe ,i am10 he said4 8,maybe ,i'm scaring myself1 too4 ,anyway1 if we're going to hike all the way to the lighthouse1 we'll have to hurry up40 ,as they walked on up the coast1 the sandy beach gave way to rock formations which jutted out into the ocean4 ,they picked their way carefully over the rocks4 ,now and then they stopped to inspect some tide pool for small crabs and other sea life left by the receding water4 ,sandy was beside himself with joy as he chased small crabs into rock crevices4 ,teena found a starfish which she dropped into a small cloth sack she had brought along4 ,eddie had never been very interested in gathering shells and other sea souvenirs1 but ,teena had quite a collection at home4 ,they crossed over the rocks and dropped down into a sandy cove4 8,there's someone with a boat10 ,teena said1 pointing along the curving beach4 ,a rowboat was pulled up on the sand4 ,two men stood beside it4 8,fishermen10 ,eddie said4 8,let's see if they caught anything40 ,there were several other small boats out on ,moon ,bay4 ,eddie and his father had fished the bay several times themselves4 ,although shallow in places1 there were spots in the bay where good-sized perch and bass1 and occasional halibut were caught4 ,eddie and ,teena hurried along the beach4 ,the two men looked up as they approached4 8,hi1 there10 ,eddie greeted4 8,any luck80 ,the two men glanced at each other1 seeming to pass a silent question back and forth4 ,eddie laughed4 8,it's ,o4,k410 he said4 8,i know most of the fishing spots out there4 ,you won't be giving away any secrets40 ,illustration3 8,hi1 there10 ,eddie greeted4 8,any luck80 8,secrets80 one of the men said4 ,he was tall and thin4 ,his cheekbones pushed sharply outward against the sides of his face4 ,his skin was strangely white for that of a fisherman in midsummer4 ,most week-end fishermen around ,oceanview had pretty good tans by this time4 ,both men wore faded blue denims1 white sneakers1 and bright-colored sports shirts4 ,the fact that their clothes looked new made ,eddie think it might be the first time they had fished ,moon ,bay4 ,the orange-and-white rowboat pulled up on the sand had been rented from ,anderson's ,landing4 ,both ,eddie and ,teena knew ,mr4 ,anderson well4 8,we know fishermen don't like to give away their fishing secrets10 ,teena said1 8so if you caught any1 you don't need to tell us where you got them40 ,the other man smiled then4 ,he looked relieved1 ,eddie thought4 ,in appearance1 he was almost the opposite of his companion4 ,he was short and squat1 almost fat4 ,despite the slight cool breeze from the ocean1 the warm sun made his chubby face glisten with sweat4 ,he seemed a little more willing to smile than the tall man4 ,eddie didn't feel uncomfortable under his gaze1 as he did under the stare of the tall man4 8,to tell you the truth10 the short man said1 8we haven't been fishing yet4 ,so ,i guess you couldn't say we've had any luck40 8,oh1 ,i see10 ,eddie said thoughtfully4 ,sandy began sniffing around the rowboat4 8,get that mutt away from there10 the tall man said4 8,he won't hurt anything1 mister10 ,eddie assured him4 ,he went over1 though1 and took hold of ,sandy's collar4 ,as he did so he glanced into the beached rowboat4 ,there were no fish1 or even signs of fish4 ,there were a couple bamboo poles which ,eddie recognized also as having been rented from ,anderson's ,landing4 ,there was a box1 probably the men's lunch4 ,and under the plank seat stretching across the beam ,eddie saw a round metal cylinder4 ,at first he thought it was the kind of tube used as a carrying case to hold the sections of a jointed trout rod1 but as he got a better look1 it didn't seem long enough for that4 ,besides1 who would use a light trout rod for ocean fishing8 ,it wouldn't be any good to catch the big bass which were sometimes caught in the bay4 ,it'd probably snap in two if you tried to horse a halibut in with it4 8,what are you looking at1 kid80 ,the tall man's harsh voice jerked ,eddie out of his thoughts4 8,n-nothin'10 ,eddie said4 8,then stay away from the boat40 8,take it easy1 ,simms10 the short man said4 8,these kids don't mean any harm4 ,they--they're not trying to steal our fishing secrets4 ,now1 are you80 ,he smiled at ,teena1 displaying a mouthful of yellowish uneven teeth4 ,looking at those teeth made ,eddie mighty glad his teeth would never look like that4 ,what little bother his braces and the cleaning were would sure be worth it in the long run4 ,he never wanted yellow1 uneven teeth like that man had4 8,i should say we wouldn't try to steal any fishing secrets10 ,teena answered the fat man's question4 8,you're welcome to all the fish you can catch40 8,we don't care how you catch them1 or what with10 ,eddie added1 8long as it's legal40 8,anyway1 we're on our way to visit ,captain ,daniels at the lighthouse10 ,teena said4 8,come on1 ,eddie40 8,don't go away mad10 the heavy-set man said4 8,we didn't mean any harm40 8,let 'em go1 ,roy10 ,simms said4 8,we've got work to do40 ,eddie motioned to ,teena and called ,sandy4 ,he had intended to tell the men of a good fishing spot only a few hundred yards out from the cove1 but the way the men acted made him change his mind4 ,at the far end of the cove1 ,eddie and ,teena stopped and turned to watch the two men as they shoved the rowboat into the calm surf and climbed in clumsily over the side4 8,boy1 ,i'm glad all fishermen aren't like that10 ,teena said4 8,that tall man sure acted mean4 ,i hope they don't catch any fish40 8,i don't think they will10 ,eddie said4 8,i saw their bait can4 ,know what they're using80 8,sand crabs80 8,no4 ,that's what they should be using4 ,they had some old dried up mussels4 ,the fish here in ,moon ,bay don't bite on mussel4 ,dad and ,i have tried it40 8,then ,i wonder why ,mr4 ,anderson sold it to them10 ,teena said4 8,mr4 ,anderson usually helps the fishermen4 ,it's good for his boat-rental business to sell the right bait40 8,i'll bet they didn't even ask what kind of bait was best10 ,eddie said4 8,they probably grabbed the first thing they came to4 ,and ,mr4 ,anderson always has a few mussels in his bait bins40 8,i didn't think fishing was so good in the middle of the day10 ,teena said4 ,she pointed out across the water4 8,see1 most of the boats have gone ashore40 8,that's right10 ,eddie said4 8,if those guys wanted to catch fish they should have been out there early this morning when the big ones were biting40 8,guess they don't know much about fishing1 huh1 ,eddie80 ,teena said1 smiling4 8,that's what ,i figure10 ,eddie agreed4 8,besides1 they didn't even act like fishermen4 ,that tall fellow really was a grouch4 ,first time ,i ever ran across a grouchy fisherman40 8,anyway1 let's quit worrying about them10 ,teena suggested4 8,it's almost noon4 ,we want to reach the lighthouse before ,cap has lunch4 ,he can't very well eat his lunch and ours1 too40 8,o4,k410 ,eddie agreed1 taking one last glance at the two men rowing out on the blue water of the bay4 8,but something smells fishy about those two--and ,i don't mean the kind you catch on a hook60 ,,chapter ,,four ,the lighthouse was a tall concrete finger1 painted dazzling white with broad red rings around it4 ,it stood on the top of a rock palisade which rose steeply from the beach4 ,steel stairs spiraled upward on the outside1 leading to the strong glass-enclosed electric eye at the top4 ,eddie and ,teena paused on the beach below and looked up4 ,crude steps hewn out of the rocks led up to the lighthouse4 8,i'll carry the lunch10 ,eddie volunteered4 8,and be careful4 ,the sea spray can make those steps slippery40 ,they took their time getting to the top4 ,sandy went ahead1 sniffing in every crevice on the way4 8,phew60 ,teena gasped as they reached the base of the lighthouse4 8,there seem to be more steps every time we climb it40 ,eddie smiled and shifted the lunch sack to his other hand4 8,you're getting old1 ,teena10 he teased4 8,welcome aboard1 mates10 a deep1 kindly voice spoke from nearby4 ,they turned and saw ,captain ,daniels standing outside the door of his living quarters1 a tiny three-room cottage located about fifty feet from the base of the lighthouse4 8,oh1 hello1 ,captain ,daniels10 ,teena called4 8,sure glad you're home40 8,home80 the former sea captain said1 smiling4 8,a lightkeeper is always home40 ,in ,eddie's opinion1 ,captain ,daniels looked exactly like an old ship's captain or a lightkeeper should look4 ,he wore a fringe of white beard which formed a half-circle1 starting under one ear and curving across his chin and up the other side4 ,his bushy white hair fairly exploded from beneath the battered dark-blue seaman's cap which he wore even while eating4 ,eddie sometimes wondered if ,captain ,daniels wore the cap to bed4 ,the old mariner also had sharp blue eyes4 ,eddie pictured all stout seamen as having sharp blue eyes4 8,we brought a little lunch with us1 ,captain ,daniels10 ,teena said4 8,hope you haven't eaten already40 ,a twinkle came into ,cap's eyes4 8,i might have10 he said1 8but ,i reckon ,i better confess that ,i saw you through my telescope coming up the beach4 ,thought ,i'd better hold off on lunch--just in case40 8,can we eat outside80 ,teena asked4 8,the lawn's nice and dry10 ,cap said4 8,let's make it a picnic10 ,eddie suggested4 8,good idea1 mate10 the retired seafarer said4 ,captain ,daniels took great pride in his small patch of grass4 ,it seemed to grow right out of the rock on which the lighthouse stood4 ,however1 ,captain ,daniels had hauled in topsoil from miles away and spread it carefully to make the lawn4 ,he tended it1 and the flower beds which bordered it1 with an affection that seemed strangely out of place for a swashbuckling ship's captain who had roamed the seven seas4 ,the three of them sat down on the lawn4 ,teena passed around the sandwiches1 opened the potato chips1 and unwrapped the pickles and olives4 ,they ate for a while in silence1 looking off across the blue water of the bay toward the open ocean beyond4 ,eddie's gaze followed the curving shore line to the north4 ,land's end in that direction was ,cedar ,point1 which stuck its rocky finger out into the ocean4 ,it was wildly rugged country1 difficult to get to except by boat across the bay4 ,eddie supposed that was why the lighthouse had been built on the smaller point located on the more civilized curve of the bay4 ,yet the lighthouse was high and plainly visible to ships at sea4 ,captain ,daniels finished his lunch1 dug a pipe from his pocket1 and tamped tobacco into the bowl4 8,mighty good10 he said4 8,sure nice of you young folks to share your rations with me40 8,oh1 we like to do it1 ,captain ,daniels10 ,teena said4 8,it's so much fun coming up here to visit you40 8,from what ,i've been reading in the papers10 the lightkeeper said1 8,i hardly expected to see you for a while40 8,you mean the stolen isotope80 ,eddie asked4 8,i don't know much about isotopes10 ,cap said1 8but ,i do know that the newspapers have been making your father walk the plank for letting it be stolen40 8,it really wasn't his fault10 ,eddie defended4 8,of course not10 ,captain ,daniels agreed4 8,but someone always gets blamed4 ,just like those missing blueprints ,i read about in this morning's paper4 ,teena's father probably has nothing to do with guarding them1 but when they turn up missing1 he's the one who gets lashed to the mast4 ,the captain of a ship takes the blame for everything that happens aboard4 ,actually1 that's the way it should be1 ,i suppose40 ,eddie had to agree1 but he didn't like to think about the worry his father and ,mr4 ,ross were going through4 ,he had been trying not to think about it4 ,captain ,daniels seemed to sense this4 ,he quickly changed the subject4 8,don't seem to be many fishermen out today10 he said1 looking off across the bay4 8,and there's one boat out there that could just as well have stayed ashore4 ,won't catch anything worth frying out there on top of the sand bar40 ,the rowboat had been anchored over the light-blue strip of water which marked the familiar sand bar stretching nearly a half mile across the middle of the bay4 ,the sand bar lay about ten feet beneath the surface of the water4 ,it was marked by three buoys1 one at each end and one in the middle4 ,deep-draft boats avoided the sand bar4 ,fishermen kept away from it1 as the larger fish lay in deeper water4 8,isn't that the boat with those two men1 ,eddie80 ,teena asked4 8,i think so10 ,eddie said1 squinting through the sunlight4 8,what two men80 ,cap asked4 ,quickly ,eddie told him about the two strangers he and ,teena had come across at the cove4 ,captain ,daniels reached into his pocket and brought out a small telescope4 ,he pulled its sections out to full length and handed it to ,eddie4 8,see for yourself10 he invited4 ,eddie adjusted the lens to his vision4 ,with the telescope it was easy to see that the two men in the rowboat were the tall one called ,simms and the chunky one called ,roy4 8,anyway10 ,eddie said1 8they don't seem to be pulling in any fish40 ,he passed the telescope to ,teena4 8,it doesn't look like they're even trying10 ,teena said4 8,there's only one line in40 8,maybe they're just relaxing10 ,captain ,daniels said4 8,some people don't care whether they catch any fish or not4 ,they rent a boat1 row it out and anchor it1 and then sit around soothing their nerves4 ,people build up a lot of tensions these days1 you know4 ,folks have different ways of getting rid of them40 8,they were nervous1 all right10 ,teena said4 8,especially the tall one40 ,she handed the telescope back to ,captain ,daniels4 8,well1 let's forget about them10 ,eddie suggested4 8,captain ,daniels1 would you like us to help polish the light again today80 8,you know you're always welcome to help with that10 the lightkeeper said1 8but ,i don't want you coming up here thinking ,i expect you to work40 8,oh1 but that isn't work10 ,teena said4 8,it's fun40 ,eddie agreed with that4 ,not only was it fun1 but it was a great thrill to climb up to the top of the lighthouse4 ,captain ,daniels got some rags and a can of window cleaner out of a small tool shed at the foot of the lighthouse4 8,why don't you let us do it today1 ,captain ,daniels80 ,teena asked4 8,no use in your climbing all of those stairs40 8,you win10 the lightkeeper said1 smiling4 8,i'll wait down here40 ,eddie and ,teena took the rags and cleaner and started up the steel stairs which spiraled up the outside to the top of the lighthouse4 ,the stairs were perfectly safe1 as a waist-high railing prevented any possibility of an accident4 ,reaching the top1 they paused on the narrow steel balcony that circled the light4 ,the view across the bay was spectacular--blue water and whitecaps as far as they could see4 ,a couple of steamers dragged banners of smoke across the distant horizon4 ,in the other direction they saw ,oceanview sprawling out inland from the shore of the bay4 ,both ,acme ,aircraft ,company and the college campus were in plain view4 ,after filling themselves with the view1 they got busy on the light4 ,it was like polishing a giant lantern chimney4 ,it had thick1 wavy glass to magnify the beam of the enormous electric lamp which rotated inside1 making three complete turns a minute4 ,being daytime1 the light was turned off4 ,in fact1 ,eddie never had seen the light up close at night4 ,he imagined it would be very blinding1 although he doubted if anyone ever would be foolish enough to climb up and look into it4 ,it was bright enough1 even from a distance1 as it swept its white warning finger through the sky4 ,he and ,teena worked away at spreading the window cleaner4 ,after it had dried on the thick glass1 they went over it carefully with their soft rags4 ,the dirt and the white deposit left from the salt spray came off easily1 leaving the glass bright as crystal4 8,i guess that's it10 ,eddie said1 after they had made a complete circle of the glass4 ,he paused to take one last look around4 8,we'd better be getting back home1 too10 ,teena suggested4 8,it must be three o'clock40 ,eddie glanced up at the sun4 8,you're about right10 he said4 ,they made their way back down the stairs4 ,cap was waiting at the bottom4 8,it's as bright as the northern star1 mates10 he said1 craning his neck to get a good look at their handiwork4 8,i sure do thank you both40 8,we're the ones to thank you for letting us come out here to visit you1 ,captain ,daniels10 ,eddie said4 8,any time10 the old mariner invited4 8,you're always welcome4 ,and ,i don't expect you to bring a lunch or polish the light1 either40 8,we have to go now10 ,teena said4 8,but we'll come out to see you again before long4 ,come on1 ,sandy40 8,i'll be looking for you10 ,captain ,daniels called after them1 as they started down the rock steps toward the beach4 ,later1 when they reached the cove they noticed that the rowboat was no longer anchored out over the sand bar4 ,then ,eddie saw it in close to shore1 heading for ,anderson's ,landing4 ,he didn't give it any more thought4 ,as they approached ,anderson's ,landing1 the two strangers were tying up at the dock4 8,let's see if they caught anything10 ,eddie suggested4 8,let's not10 ,teena objected4 8,they weren't very nice to us40 8,they didn't mean anything10 ,eddie said4 8,maybe someone should tell them that the fishing is no good over the sand bar40 8,i'll bet they found that out for themselves10 ,teena said4 ,but ,eddie already had started walking out onto the plank boat dock4 ,teena followed4 8,here1 mister1 ,i'll help you10 ,eddie offered as the heavy-set man removed the oars from the oarlocks and moved toward the prow of the boat4 8,o4,k410 the man said1 trying to keep his balance in the rocking boat4 ,then he glanced up4 8,hey1 you're the kids we saw earlier1 aren't you8 ,you following us or something80 8,no1 sir10 ,eddie said4 8,we were on our way home4 ,just thought we'd come out and see what kind of luck you had40 8,we did all right1 didn't we1 ,roy80 the tall man said4 8,but where are your fish80 ,teena asked4 8,we left them in the bay10 ,roy1 the portly man1 said4 8,i guess so10 ,eddie said1 smiling4 8,no one ever catches any fish out over the sand bar4 ,the fish hang around in the deeper water40 8,well1 we don't care much for fish1 anyway10 ,roy said4 8,then why do you go fishing80 ,teena wondered4 8,we do it to get away from kids who ask silly questions10 ,simms said curtly4 8,now beat it and leave us alone40 ,he tossed the two fishing poles onto the dock and climbed out of the boat4 8,sure1 mister10 ,eddie said4 8,we didn't mean to bother you40 8,don't get sore1 kids10 ,roy said4 8,simms is a little sunburned1 that's all4 ,makes him cranky40 ,the tall man was sunburned1 all right4 ,eddie had noticed that4 ,but then1 he had expected it4 ,neither man boasted any kind of a tan1 and the sun had been hot all afternoon4 ,eddie also had noticed something else4 ,it struck him as strange1 although he didn't know what to make of it4 ,the metal tube which he had noticed in the bottom of the boat when they had first met the men in the cove was no longer in sight4 ,if it had contained a collapsible fishing rod as he had guessed1 why wasn't it still there in the bottom of the boat8 ,eddie was certain the men hadn't put in to shore between the time they had left the cove and now4 ,if they had he and ,teena would have noticed it from the lighthouse4 ,a metal tube like the one ,eddie had seen earlier in the bottom of the rowboat simply would not disappear4 ,perhaps it hadn't contained a collapsible fishing rod1 as he had guessed4 ,if not1 what was in the cylinder8 ,and where was it now8 ,,chapter ,,five ,nearly a week went by4 ,the lead capsule containing the stolen radioisotope had not been found4 ,in fact1 as far as ,eddie knew1 there had been no worthwhile clues on which to base a search4 ,curious as he was1 ,eddie still managed to keep from asking his father a lot of questions4 ,around home1 ,mr4 ,taylor had been thoughtfully silent4 ,eddie knew that his father must be very worried4 ,eddie gathered enough from the conversations between his parents to know that the search for the stolen isotope was still going on4 ,in fact1 it was pretty well known that ,,fbi agents had arrived in ,oceanview to lend a hand4 ,eddie hadn't seen them1 but several of his friends had4 ,it was hard to keep secrets in a college town like ,oceanview4 ,the newspapers had temporarily dropped the story4 ,after all1 when the radioisotope had been stolen it had made a big story1 but nothing more had happened1 so there was nothing more to write about4 ,there were still articles in the newspapers about the ,acme ,aircraft ,company problem of the missing blueprints4 ,actually1 it seemed to ,eddie that the newspapers were making more of a mystery out of the missing blueprints than of the stolen radioisotopes4 ,perhaps that was because it had not yet been decided whether the blueprints had been stolen1 destroyed by accident1 or simply lost4 ,in an aircraft plant1 where thousands and thousands of plans are being used at all times1 some carelessness is apt to occur4 ,eddie found it hard to believe that anyone could get careless with top-secret blueprints1 yet such things did happen4 ,maybe the reason people remained curious about the missing blueprints was that everyone knew what a blueprint was4 ,even the word 8radioisotope0 meant very little to most readers4 ,what they were and what they did were even less well known4 ,friday morning ,teena came whistling up to the back door at ,eddie's house to see if he wanted to do anything4 8,mom's gone shopping10 ,eddie said4 8,she'll be back in a few minutes4 ,then maybe we could take the ,geiger counter and--0 ,his words were interrupted by the telephone ringing inside4 8,be right back10 he said1 hurrying into the house4 ,his father was on the other end of the line4 8,eddie10 he said1 8there's a dark-green notebook on my desk in the study4 ,i forgot it this morning4 ,can't get away from here1 and ,i need it40 8,i'll bring it over1 ,dad10 ,eddie volunteered quickly4 8,good4 ,i'll be outside the botany building4 ,know where that is80 8,botany8 ,where they raise all the plants and stuff80 ,eddie asked4 8,that's right40 8,i know where it is10 ,eddie said4 8,be there in five minutes40 ,he went into the study1 got the notebook off the desk1 and went back outside4 8,i've got to tear over to school with this notebook10 he explained to ,teena4 8,that was my dad40 8,i'll go with you10 ,teena said4 8,o4,k40 ,it was only a few blocks to the college campus4 ,reaching the grounds1 they took a short cut past the men's gymnasium1 crossed the athletic field1 and arrived at the ,botany ,building4 8,i see ,dad over there10 ,eddie said1 pointing4 ,there were several men standing in a group in the small cultivated field which the botany department used to grow test plants of various kinds4 ,eddie and ,teena picked their way carefully between the rows4 8,you made good time1 ,eddie10 his father said1 taking the notebook4 8,morning1 ,teena4 ,hope ,i didn't interrupt any big plans40 8,oh1 no1 ,mr4 ,taylor10 ,teena said4 8,we weren't doing anything special40 ,eddie was about to turn and leave1 when he noticed that several of the young men--students1 no doubt--were wearing strange-looking1 long1 heavy gloves4 8,why the gloves1 ,dad80 he asked4 ,mr4 ,taylor glanced up from the notebook4 8,we're experimenting with radioactive tracers10 he said4 8,they're weak--certainly not dangerous--but there's no harm in taking a little extra precaution4 ,the gloves are lead-lined and absorb any of the rays which might possibly be picked up from handling the plants40 8,what are tracers1 ,mr4 ,taylor80 ,teena asked4 ,eddie shot her a quick scowl4 ,he doubted that his father wanted to be bothered with questions at the moment4 ,then ,eddie noticed one of the students holding the wandlike probe--or diode--of a ,geiger counter down close to the leaves of one plant4 ,it seemed a strange thing to be doing4 ,who would prospect for uranium in plants4 8,that's a good question1 ,teena10 ,mr4 ,taylor said4 8,glad to see you're interested40 ,he turned and spoke to the student with the ,geiger counter4 8,jim1 you want to explain to this young lady1 and my son here1 what tracers are80 ,eddie smiled to himself4 ,his father was the kind of a professor who believed his students should have the chance to use their knowledge whenever possible4 8,maybe we should all listen to this10 ,eddie's father said to the others4 ,they gathered around as the dark-haired student switched off the ,geiger counter1 swallowed a bit uncomfortably1 and turned to face the outdoor classroom which ,teena's question had formed on the spot4 8,well1 er--0 ,jim began1 addressing ,teena1 8a tracer is a radioactive isotope which we--well1 send out on a journey1 then follow it with a ,geiger counter40 8,i'm afraid that's not too clear1 ,jim10 ,mr4 ,taylor said4 8,teena's not an atomic scientist4 ,can you simplify it for her80 8,oh1 ,i know what a radioactive isotope is1 ,mr4 ,taylor10 ,teena said proudly4 8,you do80 ,eddie's father said in surprise4 8,it's something--,i think you call it an element--which they put in an atomic reactor1 and--and cook it until it becomes radioactive4 ,kind of like a sponge soaking up water40 8,very good10 ,mr4 ,taylor nodded1 obviously impressed4 8,eddie explained it to me10 ,teena said1 smiling1 8but he didn't say anything about tracers40 ,she turned her attention back to ,jim1 the student4 8,all right10 ,jim said1 seeming more at ease1 8let's look at it this way4 ,any radioisotope keeps shooting out rays4 ,of course1 you can't see the rays with your eyes4 ,they're almost too small to think about4 ,but you can follow them with a ,geiger counter40 ,he indicated the black metal instrument which he still held in his hand4 8,well10 ,jim went on1 8say1 for instance1 that you wanted to know how fast a stream of water flows4 ,you might toss in a rubber ball and time how long it takes to float a mile downstream4 ,that would give you its speed4 ,or say you wanted to know which way its currents twist and turn4 ,you might dump in a gallon of ink and watch it follow the currents4 ,in a way1 the ball and the ink are tracers4 ,not radioactive tracers1 of course1 but by watching how they act1 you learn what you want to know40 8,let's talk about radioactive tracers10 ,eddie said eagerly4 8,you're crowding me1 bub10 ,jim said1 smiling4 ,everyone laughed4 8,how are we using tracers here1 ,jim80 ,mr4 ,taylor prompted4 8,we're testing the use of phosphate in plant growth10 the student explained4 8,we want to know what the plant does with it4 ,does a phosphate fertilizer merely feed the plant's roots1 or is it pulled up into the stems and leaves8 ,and we want to know how quickly the plant absorbs it1 if at all4 ,of course1 we can't see it1 but if we make the phosphate slightly radioactive1 then we have what we call a tracer4 ,by using a ,geiger counter1 we can follow or trace its movement40 8,can you explain our method1 ,jim80 ,mr4 ,taylor said4 8,well1 we spread a little of the radioactive phosphate around the plant10 the student said4 8,soon the roots start taking it in40 8,how do you know that1 ,jim80 ,mr4 ,taylor asked4 8,we hold the ,geiger counter to the root4 ,if it starts clicking faster than usual1 we know the root has absorbed some of the phosphate tracer4 ,we also hold the ,geiger counter over the stems and leaves4 ,as the tracer works upward into the plant1 the ,geiger counter reacts to it4 ,here1 let me show you how it works on this cotton plant40 ,eddie and ,teena moved over closer to the two-foot-high plant4 ,jim switched on the ,geiger counter4 ,eddie saw the needle on the gauge flutter slightly1 indicating the normal cosmic-ray background count4 8,teena10 ,jim said1 handing her the earphones which were attached by a long wire to the ,geiger counter1 8you take these earphones4 ,now1 ,i'll pass the probe down close to the base of the cotton bush40 8,what does the stick do80 ,teena asked4 ,although ,eddie had explained it to her1 she seemed to feel that1 as a pupil1 she should ask some questions to help ,jim out4 8,stick8 ,oh1 you mean the probe4 ,actually1 it's called a diode1 but probe's easier to remember4 ,anyway1 the probe is a vacuum tube filled with a special kind of gas4 ,whenever invisible radioactive particles shoot through the probe and into the gas1 the ,geiger counter clicks1 and the needle on the dial moves forward4 ,the more rays shooting through the probe1 the more clicks2 the more clicks1 the more radioactivity4 ,that's why ,geiger counters are so useful in hunting for uranium4 ,uranium is very1 very radioactive4 ,if you happen onto some uranium ore1 the ,geiger counter really goes wild40 8,we have a ,geiger counter at home10 ,eddie said eagerly4 8,teena and ,i have gone uranium prospecting several times40 8,haven't found any uranium10 ,teena said1 8but we've had fun trying4 ,whoops4 ,there's some clicking60 ,she put her hands up to the earphones4 ,jim had moved the probe down close to the stem of the cotton plant4 8,good10 he said4 8,we mixed a little radioactive phosphate into the ground around the roots this morning4 ,see1 the ,geiger counter shows that the phosphate tracer has already started moving up into the plant4 ,helps show how important phosphate is to plant growth1 and how eagerly the plants absorb it40 8,the plant sure looks healthy enough1 all right10 ,eddie said4 8,right10 ,jim said4 8,now let's see how far up into the plant the tracer has gone40 ,he moved the probe upward over the smaller twigs and leaves4 ,on the lower leaves the ,geiger counter kept clicking rapidly4 ,eddie watched the needle stay forward on the gauge4 8,see1 the leaves have taken a lot of it in already10 ,jim explained4 ,then1 as he moved the probe farther up toward the top of the plant1 the clicking diminished until only the familiar slow background count remained4 8,it quit10 ,teena said4 8,shows that the phosphate has only reached about half of the plant so far10 ,jim said4 8,you see1 with the tracer and the ,geiger counter we can tell just how far it has gone and how long it has taken4 ,we can even tell how much has been absorbed by comparing the amount of radioactivity in the leaves and stems of the plant to what we know was contained in the original tracer40 8,boy1 that's something60 ,eddie exclaimed4 8,by adding tracers to some fertilizers10 ,jim went on1 8we found that the plant made no use of the fertilizer4 ,the ,geiger counter didn't pick up any radioactivity in the plant4 ,meant wasted money to any farmer or gardener who used it4 ,now do you see what we mean by a tracer8 ,see how radioactive tracers can be helpful80 8,oh1 yes10 ,teena said4 8,i do40 8,i'll bet if ,i had some of that tracer ,i wouldn't lose so many things10 ,eddie said4 8,i could paint a little on my marbles or sling-shot4 ,then ,i could always find them with a ,geiger counter40 8,you could1 at that10 his father said4 8,and ,i wouldn't be stepping on the marbles in my bare feet4 ,but1 of course1 great care must be taken in handling radioisotopes1 which is what tracers are40 ,jim had warmed up to the subject1 and wasn't quite ready to drop it4 8,tracers are used in many ways10 he went on4 8,they are used in medicine to locate diseased tissue which attracts and absorbs certain isotopes4 ,a radiation-sensitive instrument1 similar to a super ,geiger counter1 sniffs out the isotope and locates the damaged tissue4 ,then the doctor knows what to treat1 or where to operate4 ,radioisotopes are used in various food tests4 ,by watching the tracer with electronic gadgets1 they can tell whether the food is a muscle builder1 a bone builder1 or what40 8,you can make machine parts radioactive10 ,mr4 ,taylor said4 8,then by seeing how many radioactive particles are in the oil after the machine has been run1 you can tell how much wear the machine has taken4 ,oh1 there are hundreds of ways to use radioactive tracers4 ,you might call them atomic signposts4 ,using a ,geiger counter to read the signs1 you are directed along the paths that lead to the answers of nature's mysteries40 8,wow60 ,eddie exclaimed4 8,pretty flowery1 at that1 ,i guess10 his father said1 smiling4 8,well1 anyway1 ,jim1 you did a nice job of explaining it4 ,now1 ,i think we'd better get back to our work4 ,thanks for bringing the notebook over1 ,eddie--and ,teena40 ,the two young people turned and started back toward ,eddie's house4 8,let's go across the mall10 ,teena suggested4 8,i haven't been over here for a long time40 ,the mall1 as it was always called1 was a broad ribbon of lawn which stretched for more than a block down the center of the college campus4 ,it was bordered on both sides by the many buildings which made up ,oceanview ,college4 ,sidewalks laced back and forth across the mall4 ,during class changes1 the area swarmed with students4 ,now1 as ,eddie and ,teena walked along the mall1 only a few students sauntered around or sat loafing in front of the buildings waiting for their next class4 ,teena and ,eddie walked past the library1 the assembly hall1 and the nuclear-science building4 ,they were starting past the chemistry building1 when ,eddie tugged at ,teena's sleeve4 8,look10 he said1 pointing to the back of a man walking about fifty yards ahead of them4 8,who's that80 8,who's who80 ,teena asked4 8,you mean that man8 ,am ,i supposed to know him80 8,i think ,i do10 ,eddie said4 8,he sure looks familiar40 8,how can you tell8 ,all we can see is his back4 ,lots of backs look alike4 ,he's tall4 ,maybe he's a basketball player4 ,he looks older than most students1 though4 ,why1 his hair's even a little gray1 and--0 8,i've got it now10 ,eddie interrupted4 8,the tall and kind of gray part4 ,you know who8 ,simms4 ,that fellow we ran into down at the cove last week40 8,well-ll1 maybe10 ,teena admitted thoughtfully4 8,we could tell for sure if he'd turn around4 ,anyway1 ,i don't see what difference it makes4 ,maybe he's a student here4 ,there are a lot of older students4 ,maybe he's even a teacher4 ,lots of teachers fish on week ends4 ,no reason to get excited40 8,who's excited80 ,eddie challenged4 8,can't a fellow ask--0 8,o4,k41 ,o4,k410 ,teena said4 8,anyway1 there he goes into the chemistry building1 so we'll never know just who it was4 ,and that's the end of your mystery40 ,eddie didn't say anything4 ,he walked along1 busy with his own thoughts4 ,probably ,teena was right4 ,why make a mystery of it8 ,even if the man were ,simms1 what difference would it make8 ,yet1 why had ,simms acted so strange and unfriendly that day4 ,and for no reason ,eddie could think of4 ,there was also the memory of the strange metal tube which had been in the rowboat when the two men went fishing1 and wasn't there when they returned4 ,there was no point in even mentioning it to ,teena1 but ,eddie had a strangely uncomfortable feeling on seeing the man right there on the campus from which the secret radioisotope had been stolen recently4 ,no1 it really couldn't mean a thing1 ,eddie told himself4 ,then1 again1 maybe it could4 ,,chapter ,,six ,eddie had hoped that the following day he and ,teena could make the trip to ,cedar ,point with the ,geiger counter4 ,it had been in the back of his mind ever since his dream of locating radioactive ore on the rocky point4 ,but by the time he finished mowing his lawn and doing the few other chores lined up for him1 it was too late to attempt the long trip4 ,besides1 the only sensible way to get to ,cedar ,point was by boat across ,moon ,bay4 ,it was a two-mile row each way4 ,yet1 protected by sand bars1 the bay usually remained quite calm4 ,by taking it easy1 it was no great job rowing out to the point4 ,still1 you had to have a rowboat4 ,to rent one cost money4 ,with so many things going on during summer vacation1 ,eddie simply hadn't been able to save out of his allowance4 ,he knew of a way to get a boat1 though4 ,he had done it a couple of times before4 ,there were more than two dozen rowboats at ,anderson's ,landing4 ,seldom were they all rented at once4 ,on this particular ,saturday1 a gray blanket of high fog hung in the sky4 ,eddie had an idea that quite a few of the boats would still be tied up at ,anderson's ,landing4 ,right after lunch he hurried over to ,teena's house4 8,how would you like to go down to ,anderson's ,landing10 he suggested1 8and see if we can't earn a day's rental on one of the boats8 ,then maybe next week we can take that trip out to ,cedar ,point with the ,geiger counter40 8,you want to earn the use of a rowboat again80 ,teena asked4 8,yep4 ,it's not so hard10 ,eddie said4 8,want to come80 8,i'll ask mother40 ,soon ,eddie and ,teena arrived at the beach4 ,mr4 ,anderson was midway out on the wharf which jutted a hundred or so feet out into the smooth water of the bay4 ,they trotted out across the rough planking to see him4 ,the boatowner was a small1 wiry man with deep wrinkles around his eyes from years of squinting against the reflection of sun on water4 8,hi1 there10 he greeted4 8,where are your fishing poles80 8,we didn't come to fish today1 ,mr4 ,anderson10 ,eddie said4 8,do you have any odd jobs we can do80 8,need a boat80 the owner guessed4 8,yes1 sir10 ,eddie said4 8,we'd like to row out to ,cedar ,point one of these days40 8,quite a row40 8,oh1 ,eddie's a good rower10 ,teena said4 8,sometimes ,i even help with one of the oars40 8,well1 now10 ,mr4 ,anderson said1 rubbing his bristly chin1 8you'd need a boat almost a full day to row out to ,cedar ,point and back4 ,at fifty cents an hour1 that's quite a bit of money40 8,we don't have any money1 ,mr4 ,anderson10 ,eddie explained4 8,that's why we hoped we could work it out4 ,remember1 ,i've done it before40 8,i remember10 ,mr4 ,anderson said4 8,and ,i remember that you're a pretty good worker1 too40 ,he glanced along the wharf at the rowboats tied up to a row of cleats4 8,tell you what4 ,you clean out what boats are in1 and you've earned yourselves a day's rental on one40 ,eddie counted the boats quickly4 ,there were fourteen of them not in use4 ,depending upon how messy various fishermen had been1 he and ,teena should be able to clean them up in about three hours4 8,how about it1 ,teena80 he asked4 8,all right by me10 she said4 8,it's a deal1 ,mr4 ,anderson10 ,eddie said4 8,and thanks a lot40 8,just when do you figure you will want the boat80 the owner asked4 8,maybe next ,saturday40 8,all right4 ,you do the job1 and ,i'll save you one4 ,make it a good job1 mind you40 ,they started with the boat near the far end of the wharf1 and worked shoreward4 ,they wiped off the seats with a damp rag and coiled the anchor ropes neatly near the bow4 ,the biggest job1 though1 was cleaning up the junk which had gathered in the bottom of each boat during the week4 ,there were candy wrappers1 smelly chunks of old bait1 snarled bits of leader1 occasional fishhooks1 even dried-out sandwich crusts and other odds and ends which had collected in each boat4 ,while they were working1 two more boats returned4 ,eddie checked their numbers when they came in4 ,then1 after he and ,teena had finished cleaning up the fourteen1 they went back and did the two new arrivals4 8,well1 ,i'd say you've earned a boat for next ,saturday10 ,mr4 ,anderson said1 glancing approvingly at their work4 8,and thanks for cleaning up those extra two that came in4 ,they weren't actually in the bargain1 you know40 8,we were glad to do them10 ,eddie said1 feeling a bit proud that they had done more than the bargain called for4 8,i guess we'd better be going now40 8,there comes another boat10 ,teena said1 pointing to one of the orange-and-white ,anderson's ,landing rowboats about a hundred yards out from the wharf4 8,well1 now10 ,mr4 ,anderson said1 smiling1 8don't you be staying around to clean that one up4 ,i'll take care of it40 8,teena1 look10 ,eddie said4 8,it--it's those same two men we met at the cove last week4 ,you know1 the tall one called ,simms and the chubby one called ,roy40 8,roy ,benton10 ,mr4 ,anderson said1 consulting his rental slips4 8,he signed for the boat this morning4 ,second ,saturday they've rented one4 ,hope they're steady customers4 ,i can always use the business4 ,don't know how long they'll stick with it1 though4 ,they didn't catch a thing last week40 8,bet they didn't catch any this week1 either10 ,eddie said4 8,not if they fished over the sand bar again40 8,i tried to tell them about good fishin' spots10 ,mr4 ,anderson said1 8but they didn't seem to be listening4 ,didn't even ask me what kind of bait was best around here4 ,well1 there are all kinds of fishermen4 ,one thing ,i've learned in this business is not to go around giving advice when no one asks for it4 ,fishermen can be mighty touchy about that4 ,best to let them use up their own pet ideas1 even if they don't catch fish40 8,i can't figure why they would want to take trout rods out with them to do ocean fishing10 ,eddie said4 8,trout rods80 ,mr4 ,anderson asked4 8,they rented poles from me4 ,i didn't see any trout rods40 8,well1 remember that metal tube they had last week8 ,about two feet long8 ,if that wasn't a carrying case for a jointed trout rod1 what else could it be80 8,i don't recollect them having anything like that10 ,mr4 ,anderson said thoughtfully4 8,and ,i sure would have noticed it4 ,i helped them get loaded in the boat4 ,all they had was a small box which ,i figured was their lunch4 ,same thing this morning4 ,no metal tubes with knock-down trout rods or anything like that40 8,let's go1 ,eddie10 ,teena prompted4 8,i'd just as soon not have to meet them again4 ,they were pretty cranky40 ,but the tall man at the oars already was maneuvering the boat clumsily up to the wharf4 ,mr4 ,anderson leaned down1 took the painter from the fat man's hand1 and snubbed it to the dock cleat4 ,the tall man1 ,simms1 shipped oars and turned around to hand them up to ,mr4 ,anderson4 ,he spotted ,eddie and ,teena4 8,well1 so it's you two again10 he said with no show of friendliness4 8,you keep turning up1 and we'll think you're spying on us40 8,we've been helping ,mr4 ,anderson10 ,teena defended4 8,no fish again today80 ,eddie said1 looking into the empty boat4 8,snagged a couple whoppers10 the portly man said1 8but they got away40 8,did you hook them over the sand bar80 ,eddie asked4 8,why not80 ,simms said sharply4 ,eddie glanced at ,mr4 ,anderson4 ,you just couldn't hook big ones over the sand bar4 ,the boat owner shrugged at ,eddie's inquiring look1 but he said nothing4 8,we'll get them next week1 though10 the man1 ,roy ,benton1 said4 8,you save us a boat for next ,saturday1 huh80 ,mr4 ,anderson made a note of it4 ,before ,eddie nodded to ,teena that they should be leaving1 he noticed that there was no metal tube lying in the bottom of the boat4 ,had he been seeing things last ,saturday8 ,after all1 even ,mr4 ,anderson claimed the men hadn't brought anything along except a lunch of some kind4 ,eddie was quite sure it hadn't been imagination1 but he didn't know why the vision of the round metal cylinder kept coming into his mind4 ,and anything he couldn't explain bothered ,eddie a lot4 ,at the foot of the wharf ,teena said1 8,it's early yet1 ,eddie4 ,let's take a hike up the beach1 shall we8 ,maybe we could even go as far as the lighthouse and say hello to ,cap40 8,suits me10 ,eddie agreed4 ,he never got tired of walking along the beach4 ,there was always something new to see and do4 ,the fresh ocean breeze on his face and the soft sand underfoot made him feel good4 ,nor did he ever tire of picking pebbles off the beach and skipping them across the smooth water of the bay4 ,a little while later they were almost to the cove when a piece of green material caught ,eddie's gaze4 ,it was being gently buffeted up and down on the sand by the small lapping waves4 ,he trotted over and picked it out of the water4 8,what'd you find1 ,eddie80 ,teena called from nearby4 8,just a piece of rubber10 ,eddie said1 holding up the four-inch length of green material4 8,looks like part of a strap off someone's swim fins40 8,boy1 you're some beachcomber10 ,teena teased4 8,an old strap off someone's swim fin is some treasure40 ,eddie drew back his arm and was about to throw the scrap back into the water1 when some printing which was molded into the rubber caught his eye4 8,hey10 he said1 looking at it closely4 8,it's got some kind of foreign words on it40 8,so what80 ,teena said4 8,i guess they make swim fins all over the world4 ,probably some tourist from another country brought them4 ,there are quite a few tourists around here during the summer1 you know40 8,yeah1 that's right10 ,eddie admitted1 but he stuffed the scrap of rubber into his pocket and walked on4 ,in a little while they arrived at the cove where they had come across the two men a week earlier4 ,owing to the rocks and the rather poor beach1 the cove was seldom visited by bathers4 ,there was really little reason for fishermen to put into the cove1 either4 ,that was why it had puzzled him to find the two men at the cove the previous ,saturday4 ,however1 they might simply have been exploring the cove4 ,eddie and ,teena continued across the rough beach4 ,there was no one in sight at the cove4 ,as they walked1 they picked up bright shells which sprinkled the sand before them4 8,look at these tracks1 ,eddie10 ,teena said1 as she pointed down at deep grooves in the sand4 ,they were long and wide--the kind a boat dragged up onto the beach would leave4 8,they look fresh10 ,eddie said4 8,couldn't have been here more than three or four hours1 or the tide would have wiped out the marks4 ,wonder if it was the same two fellows80 8,funny that they would rent a boat to go fishing10 ,teena said1 8and then come in here to the cove first4 ,there aren't any sand crabs to dig for bait40 ,eddie was thinking the same thing4 ,then he saw footprints which led from the place where the boat had been beached to the base of the bluff rising above the cove4 8,now why would they go to the foot of the bluff80 ,eddie said1 puzzled4 8,there's nothing to see over there40 ,curiosity gripped him4 ,he started following the twin sets of footprints4 8,eddie10 ,teena said1 8we'd better go on if we're going to visit ,captain ,daniels40 8,this won't take long10 ,eddie called back over his shoulder4 ,teena followed as he went on toward the foot of the bluff4 8,hey1 look10 ,eddie said4 8,there's a kind of path that zigzags up the bluff4 ,i've never noticed that before40 8,it's not much of a path10 ,teena said1 looking up the steeply winding trail4 8,and ,i don't know why anyone would want to use it to get to this cove4 ,it's much easier coming up the beach40 8,but someone's been using it10 ,eddie said4 8,see how the ground's stirred up4 ,i can't figure why anyone would want to land a boat in this cove1 then climb up and down that bluff before going fishing4 ,can you80 8,guess not10 ,teena admitted4 8,might be worth finding out10 ,eddie said4 8,come on40 8,where80 8,up the path4 ,i've never been up top4 ,might be something really worth seeing40 8,i doubt it10 ,teena said4 8,there used to be some fishermen's shacks up top4 ,but ,i don't think anyone lives there any more40 8,just for kicks1 let's see10 ,eddie insisted1 starting up the winding path4 ,the dirt of the bluff was sandy and soft1 making hard climbing as it shifted and slid underfoot4 ,it took them several minutes to climb the slanting palisade which was only some seventy feet high4 8,phew10 ,teena said1 after they had scrambled up the last few feet4 8,you sure get some wild ideas1 ,eddie40 ,eddie didn't answer4 ,he stood looking around4 ,it was easy to see why so few people were acquainted with that part of the coastline4 ,although there were no trees of any size1 the rolling land which extended back from the bluff's edge was covered with a dense tangle of brush4 ,only a foolish person would try clawing his way through it to get to the cove4 ,the beach route was the easy way1 as ,teena had said4 ,yet there was a faint path winding inland from the top of the bluff4 ,it disappeared quickly into the brush4 ,fresh footprints indicated that it had been used recently4 8,now1 why do you suppose anyone would go that way80 ,eddie wondered aloud4 8,i wouldn't want to try it10 ,teena said4 8,that brush would scratch my arms and legs40 8,maybe it leads to that shack over there10 ,eddie said1 pointing4 ,he could see only the upper half of the small building4 ,probably it had once been a fisherman's house4 ,the other fishermen's buildings must have rotted away and fallen into the weeds4 ,the dampness of the seashore could rot timbers out if they weren't kept up properly4 ,even the structure that still stood about two hundred yards away was badly weather-beaten and without paint4 ,the shingles of the roof were crooked and partly blown away1 leaving gaping holes4 ,illustration3 8,come on1 ,eddie1 let's go back40 8,well1 ,i don't know why anyone would want to go to that place10 ,teena said4 8,surely1 no one lives there4 ,it--it almost looks haunted4 ,come on1 ,eddie1 let's go back4 ,it's getting too late to visit ,captain ,daniels1 anyway40 8,i'd like to get a good look at that shack10 ,eddie said4 8,but why80 ,teena insisted4 8,i can see enough of it from here40 ,eddie didn't have a ready answer for wanting to look more closely at the shack4 ,he couldn't even explain it in his own mind1 let alone give a good reason to ,teena4 ,still1 a lot of things seemed to be in need of some explanation4 ,why did the two men named ,simms and ,benton come to the cove8 ,why did their footprints lead up the bluff and disappear into the brush8 ,did they lead to the old shack8 ,if so1 why8 ,and what about that disappearing metal cylinder which ,eddie had seen in their boat last ,saturday8 ,maybe none of it meant a thing4 ,even if it did1 he certainly had no idea what it was4 ,eddie shrugged4 ,sometimes his curiosity got the best of him4 ,anyway1 why bother ,teena with it8 8,all right10 he said1 8let's go back40 ,,chapter ,,seven ,the following few days were sultry and hot4 ,eddie stayed pretty close around home4 ,he saw little of his father4 ,between regular teaching duties and the search still going on for the stolen radioisotope1 ,mr4 ,taylor was very busy4 ,each day he looked even more tired4 ,eddie could only imagine how much the loss of the secret radioactive substance bothered him4 ,then1 ,friday1 something happened which set all ,oceanview astir4 ,the cause was a story on the front page of the ,globe4 ,there wasn't positive proof1 but one of the ,coast ,guard planes on regular patrol the previous ,saturday night had picked up a strange blip on its radar screen4 ,by the time the plane had circled back to drop a flare and investigate1 the image on the radarscope had disappeared4 ,upon dropping the flare1 they had found nothing but the smooth water of the ocean just outside the entrance to ,moon ,bay4 ,the immediate belief was that the object had been a submarine4 ,further1 if it was a submarine1 it certainly had been a foreign craft4 ,the locations of all ,american submarines were well charted and known by the ,coast ,guard4 ,finally1 after a week of secret investigation had revealed no proof of the object's actual identity1 the story was released to the newspapers4 8,dad10 ,eddie said that morning after breakfast1 as his father prepared to leave for school1 8what would a foreign submarine be doing around here80 8,that's a tough question to answer1 ,eddie10 ,mr4 ,taylor said4 8,and remember1 what showed up on the airplane's radar wasn't positively identified as a submarine4 ,it might have been a whale4 ,or several whales1 for that matter40 8,the newspaper doesn't think so10 ,eddie said4 8,besides1 no one's ever seen whales that close in40 8,there's always a first time40 8,but what if it was a submarine80 ,eddie insisted4 8,it's possible that it got off its course and surfaced to try and get a bearing10 his father said4 8,if that's the case1 they probably were considerably startled to find themselves so close to shore1 and dived immediately to avoid discovery4 ,it could happen4 ,submarines have been known to scout off this coast4 ,but usually they are far out to sea in international waters40 8,maybe they were picking up spies10 ,eddie blurted4 8,or--or landing some40 ,his father looked at him sharply4 8,what kind of harum-scarum talk is that1 ,eddie80 he demanded4 ,eddie swallowed uncomfortably4 ,he wished he hadn't said it4 ,but he had been doing so much thinking about the stolen radioisotope and the missing blueprints from the ,acme ,aviation ,company that the words had leaped from his mouth without his realizing it4 ,before ,eddie could think of an answer1 his father's face relaxed4 8,forget it1 son10 he said4 8,you always have had a pretty active imagination4 ,there's nothing wrong with that4 ,just don't let it get away from you4 ,well1 ,i'd better be leaving40 8,dad10 ,eddie said1 8do you have a teacher at school named ,simms80 8,simms80 his father replied4 8,i don't recall any ,simms4 ,what department80 8,i don't know10 ,eddie said4 8,teena and ,i saw him out fishing a couple of times with a fat man called ,roy ,benton4 ,then ,i thought ,i saw ,mr4 ,simms last week on the college campus40 8,well1 we have nearly two thousand enrolled for summer courses1 you know10 his father explained4 8,many of them are adults4 ,teachers taking extra credit courses1 or studying for their masters' degrees4 ,i imagine a lot of them go fishing on their days off4 ,any reason ,i should know this ,simms80 8,i guess not10 ,eddie said4 ,he was a little embarrassed at the questions he had asked4 ,he didn't really know why he had asked them4 ,yet he felt that the various puzzling things which had happened during the past weeks might tie in together4 ,he couldn't explain the feeling1 but it gained strength all of the time4 ,it was the reason1 too1 why he decided late that afternoon to go and take a look at the shack he and ,teena had seen located back from the top edge of the bluff the previous week4 ,he decided not to ask ,teena to go4 ,she had worried the other day about the brush scratching her arms and legs4 ,it would be simpler to go by himself4 ,he decided to take ,sandy along for company4 ,he stopped at ,anderson's ,landing long enough to check with the owner about a boat for him and ,teena the next day4 8,that's our agreement10 ,mr4 ,anderson said1 smiling4 8,after all1 you earned it4 ,don't want you chasing any submarines with it1 though40 ,the boatowner laughed4 ,apparently people weren't taking the rumored submarine sighting very seriously4 ,eddie supposed that1 as long as there was no proof1 perhaps it was just as well4 ,besides1 even a foreign submarine was not likely to cause any trouble4 ,after all1 there was no war going on4 ,still1 ,eddie couldn't shrug it off so lightly4 ,the tangle of strange happenings during the past days upset him1 and he didn't feel much like joking2 not when his father and ,teena's father were both in the thick of serious trouble4 ,eddie took his time getting to the cove4 ,sandy chased back and forth into the surf after bits of driftwood which he kept dropping at ,eddie's feet1 and which ,eddie threw back into the water4 ,by the time he reached the cove1 ,eddie wished he hadn't dawdled along so slowly4 ,the sun had dropped fast1 and was already squashing down against the horizon4 8,come on1 ,sandy10 he said1 starting for the foot of the bluff4 8,we've got to hurry40 ,he started up the narrow winding trail4 ,sandy scurried ahead and finally stood1 panting heavily1 on top of the bluff1 waiting for ,eddie4 ,the shack was still plainly visible in the waning light4 ,eddie started along the path4 ,in most places it could hardly be called a path1 except that there were dim tracks to follow4 ,the heavy growth of brush and weeds tore at his clothes4 ,he kept his arms tucked in close to his body to keep from getting scratched4 ,sandy had no difficulty whatsoever in racing back and forth through the thick scrubby growth4 ,all of his running had tired the cocker spaniel enough that he wasn't yipping and barking as he so often did4 ,within a few minutes ,eddie was to be very thankful for that4 ,as he had suspected1 the faint trail ended at the door of the old abandoned fisherman's shack4 ,in the eerie light of dusk1 ,eddie remembered ,teena saying that it looked almost haunted4 ,it certainly did4 ,broken shutters dangled from boarded-up windows4 ,gaping holes in the roof yawned at the darkening sky4 ,the warped and twisted wooden siding made the whole structure look as though it were about to cave in4 ,eddie approached the shack cautiously4 ,he figured his curiosity would be satisfied if he took just one look inside4 ,his hand was poised over the latch on the door when a slight scratching sound from inside froze it in mid-air4 ,it sounded like someone scratching a match4 ,even as he stood there with sudden fear prickling along his spine1 a small flare of light seeped through one of the cracks between the warped boards of the door4 ,it was a match6 ,eddie sucked in his breath and drew back4 ,his first thought was to turn and run4 ,on second thought1 however1 he paused4 ,perhaps hoboes now and then used the abandoned shack for sleeping quarters4 ,it couldn't be very comfortable1 but it would be better than sleeping outside in the damp ocean air4 ,although ,eddie had no desire to meet any hobo1 it was hardly reason to run away in a panic4 ,without making any sound1 and glad that ,sandy was off exploring in the brush1 ,eddie sought one of the larger cracks in the door4 ,leaning toward it1 he put one eye to the crack4 ,it was then that ,eddie's fear took a firm grip on him4 ,a small candle burned on an empty fruit crate standing in the middle of the shack's single room4 ,in one corner was an old double bunk1 empty now of mattresses or bedding4 ,a couple of rickety chairs and a bench completed what furniture was inside the shack4 ,eddie's eye was attracted by the glint of candlelight upon metal4 ,squinting through the crack1 he was able to make out the form of the reflecting object4 ,it was one of those metal tubes--like the one he had noticed in the bottom of the strangers' rowboat that day at the cove4 ,on the floor was a square battery camp lantern such as hunters often use4 ,there was one person in the room4 ,he sat on the small bench4 ,his back was partly turned toward ,eddie4 ,he appeared to be studying some kind of a paper1 although ,eddie could see only a small corner of it4 ,there was no mistaking the man1 although his face was turned away4 ,it was the chubby fellow named ,roy ,benton4 ,there was nothing more to see4 ,eddie backed carefully away from the door4 ,a few yards away1 he turned and scrambled back along the darkening path toward the cove1 as ,sandy came crashing through the brush to meet him4 ,,chapter ,,eight ,a lot of trouble might have been saved if things had worked out as ,eddie had planned4 ,and1 yet1 if they had1 the mystery of the missing blueprints and the stolen radioisotope might never have been cleared up4 ,hurrying home through the darkness1 ,eddie went over in his mind the story he would tell his father4 ,perhaps it didn't mean a thing4 ,perhaps his imagination simply was running wild1 as his father had hinted4 ,he had to admit to himself that he was prone to build rather normal incidents into deep mysteries4 ,he had always been that way4 ,even allowing for that1 however1 ,eddie still believed there was a strong possibility that the events of the past weeks might tie in with the stolen radioisotope2 perhaps even with the missing blueprints from ,acme ,aviation4 ,right in the middle of those events the figures of the two men--,simms and ,roy ,benton--kept looming up in his mind4 ,anyway1 he thought he should tell his father about it and let him decide whether there could be any possible connection4 ,it was not1 however1 to be that way4 ,upon arriving home well after dark1 ,eddie found his mother both irked and worried over his late return4 8,you didn't even ask me if you could go10 she scolded4 8,and you know better than to be getting home at this late hour40 8,i--,i'm sorry1 ,mom10 ,eddie said meekly4 8,i didn't know ,i would be gone so long40 ,mrs4 ,taylor turned from the stove where she was warming his dinner4 8,after you eat10 she said firmly1 8,i want you to go right to bed4 ,no television40 ,it was a mild enough punishment1 ,eddie thought1 and didn't argue4 ,his father would not have been so lenient4 ,he looked around4 8,where's ,dad80 he asked4 8,your father phoned a while ago10 his mother explained4 8,he'll be home late4 ,feed ,sandy now2 then wash up for dinner40 ,eddie opened a can of dog food1 went outside1 and spooned half of it into ,sandy's dish4 ,capping the can with a plastic cover1 he put it in the refrigerator1 then went to wash4 ,after dinner he kissed his mother good night and went straight to his room4 ,he lay in bed1 going over in his mind the recent events4 ,he listened for his father's arrival4 ,he had hoped somehow to evade his early-bedtime punishment long enough to tell his story to his father4 ,but he hadn't counted on his tiredness4 ,he fell fast asleep long before his father came home4 ,the sound of the car backing out of the driveway awakened ,eddie the following morning4 ,he washed and dressed quickly4 ,perhaps his mother had gone to do a bit of early shopping4 ,it was ,saturday4 ,probably his father would be home for the day4 ,now might be ,eddie's best chance to tell him what had been running through his mind4 ,hurrying into the kitchen1 he found his mother at the dinette table having a cup of coffee4 8,hi1 ,mom4 ,where's ,dad80 ,eddie asked4 8,he just drove out1 ,eddie10 his mother said4 8,he had to get over to school early40 8,but it's ,saturday40 8,saturdays haven't been very restful for your father lately1 have they80 his mother said4 8,he has an appointment with some people from ,washington ,d4,c4 this morning40 8,about the stolen radioisotope80 ,eddie wondered aloud4 8,might be10 his mother said4 8,he didn't say1 and ,i didn't ask40 8,didn't ask80 8,eddie10 his mother said firmly1 8the theft of that isotope is pretty serious business4 ,your father is handling it the best he can4 ,he'll tell us what he wants us to know4 ,it is not our part to be asking questions4 ,you try to remember that1 dear40 ,eddie didn't say anything4 ,he knew his mother was right4 ,he was greatly disappointed1 though1 that he hadn't had the chance to talk to his father4 ,eddie was finishing breakfast when ,teena telephoned4 8,we're going to ,cedar ,point today1 aren't we80 she asked4 8,i--,i guess so10 ,eddie said4 8,you guess so8 ,but ,mr4 ,anderson is holding a boat for us4 ,this is ,saturday1 you know40 8,i know40 8,well1 we should get started10 ,teena insisted4 8,it's some row out to ,cedar ,point40 8,hold on a minute10 ,eddie said4 8,i've got to ask ,mom40 ,he turned and explained their plans to his mother4 8,it's all right1 ,eddie10 ,mrs4 ,taylor said4 8,but no getting home late like yesterday1 understand80 8,don't worry1 ,mom10 ,eddie promised4 8,we'll start early1 and get back early40 ,then he spoke to ,teena4 8,i'll be right over10 ,teena replied1 8soon as ,i make us a little picnic lunch40 ,eddie got the ,geiger counter out of the closet4 ,he told his mother how he had been wanting to try it out on ,cedar ,point4 ,he told her about the dream he had had4 8,well1 ,i guess you never can tell10 ,mrs4 ,taylor said4 8,according to your father1 uranium ore often shows up in most unlikely places40 8,cedar ,point isn't so unlikely1 ,mom10 ,eddie said4 8,there are lots of rock formations out there4 ,uranium ore is usually located where there are plenty of rocks40 ,when ,teena arrived ,eddie was all set to leave4 ,he wore swimming trunks under his blue jeans4 ,teena said she also had her bathing suit on in case they had to swim home4 8,well1 you children be careful10 ,eddie's mother cautioned4 8,the bay's usually nice and smooth1 but it can get pretty choppy4 ,if it does1 you head straight for shore1 understand80 8,we will1 ,mrs4 ,taylor10 ,teena promised4 ,eddie's mother smiled4 8,be back no later than four o'clock10 she said to ,eddie4 8,right40 8,but you don't have a watch1 ,eddie10 ,teena said4 8,i can tell by the sun10 he said proudly1 then added1 8pretty close1 anyway40 ,eddie carried the ,geiger counter and ,teena the picnic lunch as they started toward ,anderson's ,landing4 ,although it was a nice sunny day for fishing1 there were still several rowboats tied up at the landing4 ,mr4 ,anderson was in his little office at the foot of the dock4 8,i've been expecting you10 he said4 8,saved you a nice light pair of oars1 too40 8,swell10 ,eddie said4 8,thanks1 ,mr4 ,anderson40 8,take boat ,number ,eighteen10 the owner said4 8,she rides high and is leakproof4 ,what's that gadget you've got there80 8,it's a ,geiger counter1 ,mr4 ,anderson10 ,eddie said4 8,we hope we'll find some signs of uranium out on ,cedar ,point40 8,that the stuff you make atom bombs of80 ,mr4 ,anderson said1 with a note of disapproval in his voice4 8,you can make bombs of it10 ,eddie admitted1 8but nowadays scientists are more interested in running machinery and curing diseases with it40 8,that's the kind of thing ,i like to hear10 ,mr4 ,anderson said1 smiling4 8,in that case1 good luck40 ,soon1 with ,eddie at the oars1 they started toward distant ,cedar ,point4 ,eddie set the course in a line which cut at an angle across the bay4 ,as they were crossing the submerged sand bar1 ,teena pointed shoreward4 8,eddie1 look10 she said4 ,resting on the oars and following the direction of ,teena's finger1 ,eddie saw that they were directly offshore from the cove4 ,he also saw the orange-and-white rowboat pulled up onto the beach4 ,of even more importance1 he saw two men making their way carefully down the narrow trail which zigzagged down the face of the bluff4 ,even from the distance1 ,eddie saw that one man was tall and thin1 the other short and fat4 8,it's those two men60 he exclaimed4 8,of course4 ,but don't get so excited10 ,teena said4 8,they're probably just coming out fishing40 8,coming from where80 ,eddie asked4 ,he knew there was only one place to come from--the shack4 ,then he remembered that ,teena didn't know about his visit to the shack yesterday4 8,well1 anyway10 ,teena said1 8let's get away from here before they come out to fish over this sand bar4 ,they sure would think we were spying on them if they found us out here4 ,i hope they don't see us now40 8,to far away for them to tell who we are10 ,eddie assured1 sharing ,teena's dislike of meeting the two men again4 ,eddie started to turn back to rowing1 when the flash of sun on metal caught his eye4 ,he knew at once that one of the men was carrying that metal cylinder which he had seen yesterday evening in the shack1 and which he had puzzled over so long4 ,he would like to have stayed and gotten another look at it2 that is1 if the two men were coming out to fish over the sand bar again4 ,yet ,teena's warning about getting away seemed the wiser move4 ,eddie bent to the oars4 ,less than an hour later he guided the boat onto the narrow beach at ,cedar ,point4 8,phew60 he said1 mopping the sweat from his forehead4 8,that's a lot of rowing40 8,it was a swell ride1 ,eddie10 ,teena said4 8,i'll row back if you want40 8,you're a girl10 ,eddie said importantly1 which seemed to close the subject about ,teena doing the rowing4 ,but ,teena did help him drag the boat up onto the beach beyond the high-water mark4 8,now to find some uranium10 ,eddie said1 picking up the ,geiger counter4 ,before starting inland to explore the point1 however1 he shaded his eyes and looked back across the bay4 ,in the far distance he could barely make out ,anderson's ,landing4 ,quite a few boats dotted the bay in between4 ,directly in line between ,cedar ,point and ,anderson's ,landing was the light strip of water marking the submerged sand bar4 ,there was only one boat over the sand bar4 8,those two fellows are fishing in that same place again today10 ,eddie said4 8,they don't seem to learn1 do they80 8,let's not worry about them10 ,teena said4 8,let's start prospecting4 ,we promised to be home by four4 ,it's a long trip back40 ,the wind-swept point offered difficult hiking4 ,fallen trees and tangles of underbrush slowed their progress4 ,they had to keep on the lookout for poison ivy4 8,if leaves there are three1 leave it be10 ,eddie said1 remembering the familiar warning4 ,they gave wide berth to the irritating vine whenever they saw it4 ,eddie left the ,geiger counter switched on much of the time4 ,the way led over the rocks4 ,there was no way of telling1 except by the ,geiger counter1 if any of the rocks were radioactive4 ,the results1 however1 were quite discouraging4 ,except for the faint background count1 the ,geiger counter gave no sign of there being any uranium-bearing ore on ,cedar ,point4 ,after a tiring hour and a half of hard climbing over and around the outcroppings1 ,teena suggested they stop and eat their picnic lunch4 8,might as well10 ,eddie said4 8,sure doesn't look like we're going to find anything out here4 ,lot of trouble for nothing1 huh80 8,oh1 no1 ,eddie10 ,teena disagreed4 8,we're having fun aren't we8 ,after all1 you're supposed to have fun during vacation40 8,be better1 though1 to have fun and find some uranium1 too10 ,eddie said4 ,teena laughed4 8,you sure do want everything10 she remarked4 ,eddie switched off the ,geiger counter4 ,they found some shade under a wind-twisted oak and ate their lunch4 ,eddie glanced at the sun4 8,it must be one o'clock10 he said4 8,guess we'd better be starting back4 ,the water will be a little choppier than this morning4 ,won't be so easy to row4 ,i don't want to get home late1 or my mom will scalp me40 8,let's go10 ,teena said4 8,anyway1 we've done enough prospecting out here to know there's no uranium around40 ,on the way back to the boat ,eddie tried out the ,geiger counter in a couple of places they had missed4 ,the results were the same--negative4 ,he put the ,geiger counter into the bottom of the boat1 pushed the boat into the water1 and jumped in after ,teena4 ,a slight breeze angling in over the bow made rowing difficult4 ,less than halfway across the bay1 ,eddie's arms and shoulders began to ache4 8,eddie10 ,teena said from her seat in the stern1 8why don't ,i sit there beside you and row with one of the oars8 ,we've done it before4 ,just give me a little time to get the swing of it40 8,o4,k410 ,eddie said tiredly4 ,teena moved up beside him on the wide center seat and took the starboard oar handle in both hands4 ,after a couple minutes of splashing and going in circles1 they settled down to pulling together smoothly and evenly4 8,hey1 this is the best deal10 ,eddie admitted4 8,you see10 ,teena said1 8even girls can be some help40 ,eddie smiled4 ,as they were approaching the near end of the under water sand bar1 he craned his neck around4 8,good10 he said1 8those two men have gone1 so we won't run across them again40 ,they kept pulling together4 ,the water turned light in color as the sun reflected off the yellowish sand lying a scant ten feet beneath the surface4 ,suddenly ,teena stopped rowing4 8,eddie10 she said1 8what's that80 8,what's what80 ,eddie asked1 resting on his oar4 8,that clicking40 8,clicking80 ,he heard it then1 almost beneath the seat4 ,he glanced down4 8,yipes60 he exclaimed4 8,i--,i forgot to switch off the ,geiger counter before ,i put it in the boat4 ,boy1 if the battery is weak1 ,dad'll--0 ,he reached toward the switch4 ,his hand stopped in mid-air4 ,the needle of the radioactivity gauge was quivering far over to the right1 and the clicking which had attracted ,teena's attention was much louder and faster than the normal background count4 8,teena6 ,there--there's radioactivity around here60 8,in the water80 8,no4 ,maybe underneath the water4 ,maybe on the sand bar4 ,this is a sensitive ,geiger counter4 ,it could pick it up all right40 8,hey1 the clicking's getting weak again10 ,teena said4 8,we must be drifting away from whatever is causing it10 ,eddie said4 ,he moved the ,geiger counter up onto the seat between them4 ,he put the earphones on4 8,now let's kind of circle around here and try to pick it up again40 ,with nothing but a broad expanse of water and no marker to guide them1 trying to locate the spot where the ,geiger counter had sputtered to life was anything but easy4 8,eddie1 ,i think we're getting farther away all the time10 ,teena said ten minutes later4 8,but if we don't find it now we might never find it again10 ,eddie said4 8,just a little more4 ,pull easy on your oar4 ,we'll circle to the left and--,hey1 there it is60 ,the rapid clicking through the headset filled his ears4 8,hold 'er steady10 he said4 ,he crawled quickly to the bow of the boat1 lifted the heavy concrete anchor over the gunwale1 and eased it down onto the sand bar with the ,manila line attached4 8,there4 ,we won't lose it now10 he said4 8,lose what1 ,eddie80 8,whatever's making the ,geiger counter act up10 ,eddie said4 8,this would be an awful wet place to have to mine for uranium10 ,teena said4 8,it could be done10 ,eddie insisted4 8,boy1 we must be right over it4 ,listen to those clicks4 ,and look at that needle jump around40 ,teena looked over the side4 8,it looks to me like plain old yellow sand down there10 she said4 8,might be some uranium-bearing rock under it10 ,eddie said4 ,he leaned over his side of the boat4 ,although the sand bar was not far below1 the water was somewhat murky1 and the ripples on the surface made it difficult to see anything on the bottom4 8,might be a tough job getting at it1 all right1 but--0 ,the rest of the words died in ,eddie's throat1 as a glint of metal flashed in his eyes4 8,teena1 there--there's something down on the sand bar60 8,what do you mean1 something80 8,something bright4 ,like metal40 ,eddie put his face as close to the water as he could without falling out of the boat4 8,i can see it now60 he exclaimed4 8,it's about two feet long4 ,two or three inches thick4 ,it looks round1 and--0 8,eddie60 ,teena said4 8,the metal tube you saw that day in the rowboat4 ,you know1 the day we came across those two men at the cove4 ,remember80 8,i remember10 ,eddie said1 for the thought already had sprung into his mind4 ,now two other thoughts crowded in behind it4 ,both were puzzling thoughts which left his mind reeling4 ,what was the metal tube doing there below on the sand bar8 ,why1 above all things1 was it sending out radioactive rays8 ,,chapter ,,nine 8,eddie10 ,teena said1 8what are you going to do80 ,already ,eddie had pulled off his shoes and ,t shirt4 ,he slipped off his blue jeans1 and stood in his bathing trunks ready to dive overboard4 8,i'm going down and get that thing10 he said4 8,why80 8,something's mighty crazy about all this10 ,eddie said4 8,maybe so10 ,teena agreed4 8,but ,eddie1 isn't it dangerous8 ,if that thing's radioactive--0 8,no4 ,it's not that radioactive10 ,eddie said4 8,those two men handled it all right4 ,it's some special kind of a tube4 ,i'm going to take it to my dad40 8,why80 8,why60 ,eddie repeated impatiently4 8,because it must have something to do with that stolen radioisotope1 that's why40 8,well1 you don't need to get sore at me10 ,teena scolded4 8,i'm not1 ,teena10 ,eddie said1 calming down4 8,but ,i'm not going to take the chance of leaving the thing out here and maybe not being able to find it again40 8,you sure it won't hurt you80 ,teena asked again4 8,i'm real sure10 ,eddie said4 8,i've seen that ,geiger counter act up a lot worse over a small sample of uranium ore4 ,don't worry4 ,if it was really hot with radiation1 those two men wouldn't have been handling it either4 ,dad said that whoever stole the isotope would be an expert on knowing how to handle it safely4 ,i'll be right back40 ,illustration3 ,the cylinder was simple to locate4 ,eddie slipped over the side and into the water4 ,he took a breath1 nosed over1 and kicked downward4 ,it was a shallow dive compared to some he had made while skin diving for lobster4 ,he stroked easily down to the sand bar4 ,the bright metal cylinder was simple to locate even in the murky water4 ,he grabbed it with his left hand and swam back to the surface4 ,teena took it from him and laid it in the bottom of the boat4 ,then she helped him climb in over the stern4 8,it doesn't look like anything very special1 does it80 she said4 8,that's why ,i thought it was for holding a jointed trout rod10 ,eddie said1 8but watch this40 ,he switched on the ,geiger counter and held the probe near the metal tube4 ,the earphones began to sputter with continuous clicks4 ,the indicator on the dial jumped far forward4 8,it's a cinch there's some radioactive stuff inside10 ,eddie assured4 8,let's go4 ,i've got to take this to my father40 ,as they drew within a quarter of a mile of ,anderson's ,landing1 ,teena said1 8,eddie1 what if those two men should be around the boat dock and see us with this tube80 ,eddie looked over his shoulder4 ,he saw only one person on the landing4 ,that would probably be ,mr4 ,anderson4 8,i'm sure they've already turned in their boat and gone on home10 ,eddie said1 8but just to be safe1 we'll do this40 ,he picked up his blue jeans which he had left wadded up in the bottom of the boat1 as he hadn't wanted to put them back on over his wet trunks4 ,he pushed the metal tube into one of the empty legs4 ,then he wrapped the excess material around it4 8,there10 he said1 satisfied1 8no one can see it now40 ,mr4 ,anderson came out to meet them as they eased the rowboat gently up to the dock4 8,well1 how did it go80 he asked4 8,find any atoms80 ,eddie smiled4 8,everything is made of atoms1 ,mr4 ,anderson10 he explained4 8,we were looking for uranium4 ,that's a special kind40 8,i guess it's a special1 all right10 the boat-owner agreed1 8the way it can blow things to smithereens40 ,eddie didn't argue1 but he wished people would stop thinking that all radioactive materials were used to blow things up4 ,he supposed1 however1 that since the atomic bombs were what really started what came to be called the ,atomic ,age1 it would take some time to educate the public to the fact that atomic power was a much greater builder than a destroyer4 ,anyway1 at the moment he didn't want to get into a long discussion about it4 8,we didn't find any uranium1 ,mr4 ,anderson10 he said4 8,but we had a swell trip10 ,teena put in4 8,thanks for letting us use the boat40 8,you earned it10 ,mr4 ,anderson reminded them4 8,by the way1 those two fellows who have been fishing over the sand bar came in a while ago4 ,didn't catch a thing4 ,sure a stubborn pair1 aren't they80 8,maybe they just don't like to clean fish10 ,eddie said4 ,but he was glad ,mr4 ,anderson had mentioned the men4 ,it added evidence to his belief that they weren't the least bit interested in fishing1 anyway4 ,after cleaning up the boat1 he and ,teena started along the dock4 ,eddie carried the metal tube rolled up in his blue jeans4 8,any time you want a boat10 ,mr4 ,anderson said1 as they stepped off the dock and started across the beach toward home1 8you're always welcome to earn it the same way40 8,thanks10 ,eddie called back4 8,we may need one again before long40 ,it was a little past three o'clock when they reached ,eddie's house4 8,you certainly made it in good time10 his mother said4 8,any luck80 8,not at ,cedar ,point10 ,eddie said4 8,but1 ,mom1 we found something else4 ,where's ,dad80 8,he's not home from school yet10 his mother said4 8,what's that you have wrapped up in your jeans80 ,eddie told her quickly1 without going into all of the background4 8,you think it has something to do with the stolen radioisotope80 his mother asked in disbelief1 when he had finished4 8,i don't know1 ,mom10 ,eddie said4 8,but why would it be radioactive80 8,you haven't opened it1 have you80 8,no4 ,it's sealed tight10 ,eddie said4 8,i--,i thought ,dad should do that40 8,you're right4 ,you run it over to school and find your father40 ,teena spoke up for the first time4 8,eddie1 if that tube really belongs out there and we took it1 we--we might get in trouble40 8,belongs out there80 ,eddie asked4 8,maybe the ,coast ,guard is using it for some kind of a test or something10 ,teena said4 ,that was a possibility which hadn't occurred to ,eddie1 yet he quickly dismissed it from his mind4 ,the two men who had planted it out on the sand bar certainly had nothing to do with the ,coast ,guard or anything like that4 ,nor would it have been in the shack yesterday evening4 8,not a chance10 he said4 8,anyway1 ,i'm going to take it over for ,dad to see40 8,i'll call him and tell him you're on your way10 his mother said4 8,you want to go along1 ,teena80 ,eddie asked4 8,what a question10 ,teena said4 8,sure1 ,i want to go40 8,eddie10 his mother reminded him1 8you can't go over to school in your swim trunks4 ,go slip on some denims40 ,eddie hurried to his room and put on some freshly laundered denims4 ,then1 leaving the metal tube still wrapped in the blue jeans1 he and ,teena started down the street toward the college campus4 ,mr4 ,taylor was waiting for them in front of the nuclear-science building4 ,he seemed strangely excited4 ,eddie wondered what his mother had said over the telephone4 8,let me take it1 son10 ,mr4 ,taylor said1 reaching out for the blue jeans in which the metal cylinder was wrapped4 ,he turned to go inside4 8,can we come with you1 ,dad80 ,eddie asked quickly4 8,of course1 of course10 his father said over his shoulder4 8,come along4 ,if this is anything like your mother said1 there'll be a lot of questions to ask40 ,eddie's father led them through his office and on into a dressing room where they pulled on specially treated white coveralls1 gloves1 and hoods which fitted over their heads4 ,each hood had a small glass window for looking out4 8,just an extra precaution10 ,eddie's father said4 8,really not necessary1 but we simply don't take any chances with possible stray radiation40 ,they went on into the large laboratory4 ,eddie had been there before4 ,the sight of the fantastically shaped apparatus used in various atomic-research tests always excited him4 ,there were several men in the room4 ,each was dressed in white coverall-type protective suits similar to those he and ,teena and ,mr4 ,taylor wore4 ,in the center of the laboratory stood a square booth with thick walls and a glass window in the front wall4 ,eddie knew the walls were lead-lined1 and the glass was a thick1 specially treated type4 ,all experiments which were the least bit hazardous were conducted inside of that six-by-six-foot booth4 ,the radioactive materials were handled remotely by a strange steel-fingered device operated by a man who stood safely outside of the booth4 ,absolutely no chances were taken in the handling of radioactive materials4 ,eddie's father inspected the tube closely1 as he went toward one of the many complex devices that filled the laboratory4 8,it's a careful job of machining on this tube10 he said4 8,surely not the work of amateurs4 ,seems to be a lead alloy of some kind4 ,probably worked out in thickness and amount of lead in the alloy so as to allow just the right amount of radioactive rays to leak through without being dangerous40 ,he flicked several switches and turned various knobs on the instrument under which he had placed the tube4 ,eddie watched dial needles quiver and lights flash1 wishing he knew what they meant4 8,all right10 his father said1 turning off the machine1 8you're exactly right4 ,there's radioactivity inside that tube4 ,plenty of it1 ,i imagine4 ,yet1 only enough of it is allowed to leak out to furnish a tracer4 ,it was a regular beacon leading you right to it with your ,geiger counter40 8,dad1 you mean--0 8,let's hold the questions a while1 ,eddie10 ,mr4 ,taylor interrupted4 8,we've got a few tests to run on this first4 ,there are some things we need to find out for sure40 ,he called to one of the young men working at the far side of the room4 ,they talked for a few moments while the laboratory worker inspected the cylinder closely4 ,then he took it inside the shielded booth and laid it on the table beneath the strange contraption with the protruding metal arms and pincers4 ,several other pieces of testing apparatus were placed on the table4 ,then he came back outside1 closing the door carefully behind him4 8,all right1 ,mr4 ,taylor10 the young technician said1 8we'll see what we can do with it40 ,he slipped his hands into the grips which operated the metal fingers on the far side of the thick1 protective glass through which they watched4 ,eddie and ,teena looked on fascinated as1 controlled from outside1 the mechanical clamps on the metal arms inside picked up the tube4 ,then wrenchlike metal fingers wrapped around one sealed end4 ,after much twisting and prying1 the tight fitted cap came off4 8,so far1 so good10 the young scientist said4 8,now let's see what's inside40 ,he moved his own hands and the mechanical fingers inside tipped the tube on its end4 ,a small black capsule slid out onto the table4 ,it was about the size of a dime-store beanshooter4 ,the metal fingers kept working until the cap sealing the small black capsule was removed4 ,when it was tipped on end a yellowish powder trickled out into a small bowl which had been placed on the table inside4 ,the metal fingers continued working4 ,they placed the small bowl with the yellow contents under one instrument after another4 ,knobs were turned and readings were jotted down4 ,after the final test was made1 ,eddie's father studied the results carefully4 ,he compared them with the formulas on a piece of paper he had brought from his office4 ,while waiting silently1 ,eddie's gaze went back to the large uncapped silver-gray cylinder still lying inside on the table4 ,what appeared to be a corner of a sheet of paper jutted slightly out of the open end4 8,looks like there's something else inside of that tube10 he said to the young technician beside him4 ,talking beneath his hood muffled his words1 yet the scientist seemed to have no trouble understanding4 8,by ,george1 you're right10 he said4 ,he reached once more for the proper grip rings and levers to operate the robot fingers inside4 8,let's see what it is40 ,he tipped the tube so the open end was down1 then shook it4 ,a large piece of rolled-up paper dropped out4 ,as it fell to the table1 it unrolled part way--enough1 at least1 for ,eddie to see the blue color of its inside surface4 ,he also saw the white markings4 8,blueprints60 he cried4 ,at the word1 his father looked up from his own busy figuring4 8,you're right10 he said4 8,they sure are blueprints4 ,you kids certainly hit upon something big4 ,mighty big40 8,what do you mean1 ,dad80 ,eddie wondered4 8,there's no doubt about it10 his father said firmly4 8,the material that came out of the small black capsule inside of that tube is a part of the stolen radioisotope4 ,it's mixed in with some other material to weaken its power4 ,but ,i'm certain the radioactivity comes from small amounts of our isotope40 8,then we've found the stolen isotope60 ,eddie exclaimed4 ,although the idea had occurred to him before1 hearing the proof of it was no less startling4 8,only part of it10 his father reminded him4 ,then he turned toward ,teena4 8,unless ,i miss my guess1 those blueprints are some of the ones missing from ,acme ,aircraft ,company40 ,this seemed sheer fantasy1 like something that might happen in a restless dream after eating too much ice cream and lobster salad4 8,come on1 kids10 ,mr4 ,taylor prompted1 leading them back toward his office4 8,there's a lot to be done4 ,and unless ,i miss my guess1 it must be done quickly--or we might be too late40 ,,chapter ,,ten ,once back inside of his office1 ,mr4 ,taylor motioned for ,eddie and ,teena to be seated4 ,then he picked up the phone and made two quick calls4 ,they also must have been local calls1 ,eddie thought1 for within five minutes two men hurried into the office4 ,both were dressed in normal summer business clothes4 ,eddie's father introduced the dark-haired one in the light-tan suit as ,mr4 ,paul ,evans of the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation4 ,the other man was tall1 light-haired1 and blue-eyed4 ,his name was ,walter ,jamison4 ,he was from the ,drake ,ridge atomic reactor4 ,eddie's father didn't explain what either man was doing there1 but ,eddie had no doubts that their main interest was recovery of the stolen radioisotope4 ,probably they had been around the ,oceanview ,college campus ever since the theft had taken place4 8,all right1 ,eddie10 ,mr4 ,taylor said after the two men sat down4 8,start from the beginning and give us the whole story4 ,don't leave anything out4 ,teena1 you see that he doesn't40 ,eddie didn't know exactly what his father meant by the whole story4 ,but he started with the day when he and ,teena had come upon the two men at the cove4 ,he told about their somewhat strange actions1 and the puzzling sight of the sealed metal tube lying in the bottom of the rowboat4 ,he mentioned how the men had not had it with them when they returned the boat to ,anderson's ,landing a while later4 ,he told about seeing the men fishing out over the sand bar the ,saturday after that1 and again today4 ,then1 to ,teena's surprise1 he brought in yesterday's lone hike out to the cove4 ,he told of his curiosity over the tracks leading to the abandoned fisherman's shack set back from the top of the bluff1 and how he had been greatly surprised1 at peeking through the crack in the door1 to see the chubby man named ,roy ,benton inside1 as well as a bright metal cylinder--like the one they had just taken apart in the laboratory--standing in a corner of the shack4 8,probably it was the same tube you just took apart10 ,eddie said4 8,when ,teena and ,i were rowing out to ,cedar ,point this morning1 we saw the two men coming down the bluff carrying something shiny4 ,later1 looking back from ,cedar ,point1 we saw them anchored over the sand bar4 ,probably over the same place we found the cylinder40 8,it figures10 ,mr4 ,evans1 the ,,fbi man said4 8,for the sake of argument1 let's say the two men are spies4 ,could be even more than two here at the college or working at ,acme ,aircraft40 8,spies60 ,teena gasped in disbelief4 8,maybe they're both hiding at the shack10 ,eddie said excitedly4 8,you'd better go arrest them60 8,not so fast10 ,mr4 ,evans said4 8,arresting them isn't nearly so important as finding out where the remainder of the radioisotope is hidden4 ,getting hold of the rest of those missing blueprints also is much more important than arresting two men40 8,in fact10 ,mr4 ,jamison added1 8arresting them too early might tip off the whole operation1 and everyone would run for cover before we could pin anything down40 ,just then ,teena's father came hurrying into the office4 8,sorry ,i couldn't get here sooner1 ,steve10 he said to ,mr4 ,taylor1 8but we were trying to locate another very important set of blueprints4 ,more secret guidance-system parts4 ,i absolutely can't figure how those blueprints can keep disappearing1 and--0 ,eddie's father held out the rolled-up blueprints which had been inside the metal tube4 8,these wouldn't happen to be the ones1 would they1 ,tom80 he said4 ,one glance1 and ,mr4 ,ross's face took on an expression of mixed pleasure and amazement4 8,they certainly are60 he exclaimed4 8,but how--0 ,the ,,fbi man interrupted4 ,he brought ,teena's father up to date on the story thus far4 ,mr4 ,ross looked over toward ,teena and ,eddie4 ,as pleased as he seemed over the recovery of at least part of the missing blueprints1 he appeared even more concerned over something else4 8,if ,i had had any idea that you two were getting mixed up in anything like this10 he said1 8,i'd have insisted that you stay home and play scrabble or checkers or something safe40 8,we--we weren't mixed up in anything1 ,mr4 ,ross10 ,eddie said quickly4 8,at least1 we sure didn't know we were1 and--0 8,i believe10 the ,,fbi man cut in1 8that we'd better get down to cases4 ,we may not have much time to solve this problem4 ,let's see what we have to go on thus far4 ,then we'll try to plan our next move40 ,eddie listened as ,mr4 ,evans reviewed the situation point by point4 ,two men--the one called ,simms and the other known as ,roy ,benton--were involved in stealing the blueprints and the radioisotope4 ,mr4 ,evans didn't seem at all worried about capturing them when the time was ripe4 ,on each of the last three ,saturdays1 including today1 ,eddie and ,teena had seen them fishing1 or pretending to be fishing1 over the sand bar in ,moon ,bay4 8,we might assume1 then10 the ,,fbi man said1 8that on the past two ,saturdays the men's real purpose for going out in the boat was to drop other metal tubes overboard4 ,other tubes similar to this one40 8,and remember10 ,mr4 ,taylor said1 8the first time ,eddie and ,teena saw them was the very ,saturday after the isotope was stolen from the college40 8,right10 ,mr4 ,jamison said4 8,so10 the ,,fbi man picked up the line of thought1 8the question is why the men dropped the metal tubes out on the sand bar4 ,it's a fairly safe bet that each tube contained a little of the radioactive material1 plus other blueprints4 ,let's assume that the reason behind the whole thing is to smuggle the blueprints out of the country40 8,that would go for the isotope1 too10 the man from ,drake ,ridge said4 8,it was a new secret isotope1 you know4 ,various foreign governments would like to get their hands on it40 8,but the men didn't talk like foreigners10 ,eddie said4 8,of course1 they wouldn't10 ,mr4 ,evans said4 8,might not even be foreigners4 ,unfortunately1 there are a few greedy people who will do almost anything for money40 8,even spy80 ,teena said1 aghast4 8,even spy10 ,mr4 ,evans said4 8,but what we need to find out is how anyone is managing to smuggle the stuff out of here40 8,probably by boat10 ,mr4 ,jamison said4 8,the ,coast ,guard keeps close tabs on all boating10 ,mr4 ,evans said4 8,and the bay's too shallow to allow ocean-going ships inside40 ,a thought sprang into ,eddie's mind4 8,mr4 ,evans10 he said1 8,i found a rubber strap on the beach last week4 ,it looked like a strap broken off a swim fin or something like that4 ,it--it has some foreign printing on it4 ,i have it at home40 ,his announcement had an immediate effect4 8,that should give us a real clue10 the ,,fbi man said quickly4 8,it makes sense1 too1 that the cylinders would be recovered by skin divers4 ,perhaps foreign divers similar to our own frogmen40 8,it would have to be done after dark10 ,mr4 ,ross said4 8,otherwise they would be seen4 ,and how could anyone locate a small cylinder like that under ten feet of water at night40 8,i think ,i can answer that10 ,eddie's father said4 8,in fact1 ,eddie and ,teena found that answer4 ,it could be located with a ,geiger counter40 8,that's it10 the ,,fbi man agreed4 8,for instance1 they could use a rubber boat to sneak in under cover of darkness4 ,they would know the approximate location of the cylinder40 8,how80 ,teena's father asked4 8,by some established plan4 ,probably by triangulation4 ,they could use the lighthouse for one reference point4 ,perhaps some other signal light on shore would give them a second point40 ,quickly1 ,eddie told him about seeing the heavy-duty battery lantern in the shack4 8,they might use it for a signal light10 he said4 8,very possible10 ,mr4 ,evans agreed4 8,anyway1 a little quick figuring would locate the spot on the sand bar where the men had dropped the cylinder4 ,a ,geiger counter could pinpoint it quickly4 ,the diver would recover the cylinder1 climb into his rubber boat1 and paddle back out--0 ,his words dwindled away to thoughtfulness4 8,paddle back out to what80 ,the man from ,drake ,ridge voiced the thought that was in all their minds4 ,eddie wondered if the same answer that immediately occurred to him was shared by the others4 ,although soon after the article had appeared in the ,oceanview newspapers most readers had discarded it as nothing more than an unfounded rumor1 ,eddie had never quite forgotten it4 ,nor had the ,coast ,guard officially withdrawn its belief of what had been sighted by its radar equipment that ,saturday night two weeks ago4 ,now there seemed no argument4 ,it was1 in fact1 the only logical method by which the isotope and the plans could be smuggled away without detection4 8,the submarine60 ,eddie exclaimed4 ,,chapter ,,eleven ,the parts of the mysterious jigsaw puzzle had begun to fit into a rough pattern1 with ,eddie and ,teena furnishing most of the key pieces4 ,mr4 ,evans glanced at his wrist watch4 8,it's now a quarter after five10 he said4 8,the supposed submarine sighting took place on a ,saturday night two weeks ago4 ,that same day ,eddie and ,teena saw the men out over the sand bar4 ,they saw them again last ,saturday4 ,probably another pickup took place that night4 ,it's logical1 therefore1 to assume that the third pickup is scheduled for tonight4 ,that doesn't give us much time to set our trap40 8,you're the boss10 ,mr4 ,taylor said4 8,you tell us what you want us to do40 8,that's right10 ,teena's father said anxiously4 8,i can't overemphasize how important it is that those blueprints don't get out of this country40 8,first ,i have several urgent phone calls to make10 the ,,fbi man said quickly4 8,must get the wheels turning at once40 8,there's a phone in the empty office next door10 ,mr4 ,taylor volunteered4 8,help yourself40 ,while the federal investigator was in the next room telephoning1 ,mr4 ,taylor1 ,mr4 ,ross1 and the man from ,drake ,ridge talked over what they knew so far4 8,apparently what we have to go on10 ,eddie's father said1 8are some assorted guesses1 none of which may prove to be positive facts40 8,well1 guesses will have to do for the moment10 ,mr4 ,ross said4 8,we have to have a starting point40 8,all right10 ,mr4 ,taylor agreed1 8here's what we have4 ,two men seem responsible for both the stolen isotope and the missing blueprints4 ,eddie and ,teena both saw the tall one called ,simms on the college campus about a week ago4 ,he must be familiar with our atomic-research department in order to know of the delivery1 and to plan a method for stealing the isotope4 ,in that case1 he shouldn't be difficult to trace40 8,dad10 ,eddie said suddenly1 8doesn't everyone who works around the atomic lab have an identification badge with his picture on it80 8,you're absolutely right10 his father said1 getting up quickly4 8,and we have duplicates of the pictures right here in our files40 ,he pulled a thick album from a steel drawer4 ,he thumbed through to the #8,s' section and opened it in front of ,teena and ,eddie4 8,that's him60 ,eddie said1 pointing almost immediately to the picture of the thin-faced man4 ,his name was listed as ,harvey ,simms4 ,underneath the photo the man's job title was typed in a single word--,custodian4 8,now ,i recognize him10 ,mr4 ,taylor said4 8,i've seen him working around4 ,a quiet person4 ,the kind you hardly notice40 8,that's the way he would want it to be10 ,mr4 ,ross said4 ,teena and ,eddie went through the entire book of pictures without recognizing any as the man called ,roy ,benton4 ,mr4 ,ross picked up the telephone and called the ,acme ,aircraft ,company personnel department4 ,he gave ,roy ,benton's name and the description ,eddie and ,teena had furnished4 8,see if you can get a line on such a person10 ,mr4 ,ross instructed over the telephone4 8,call me back as soon as you can40 ,he gave the number1 and hung up4 8,now1 then10 ,eddie's father picked up the conversation again1 8after managing to steal certain blueprints during the week1 the men would naturally pick ,saturday--their day off--to schedule the pickups by the submarine4 ,we're still assuming1 of course1 that a submarine actually is being used4 ,it seems the only logical means of getting in and out past our alert ,coast ,guard4 ,by timing the patrols1 they would know when to surface4 ,they would know how long to allow for their divers to row into the bay1 get the tube1 and return to the sub before the patrol doubled back4 ,it's possible1 even1 that the submarine carries a small seaplane4 ,after returning to unpatrolled water1 they could launch the seaplane to deliver the cylinder to some surface vessel1 or possibly to an island or other land base4 ,the submarine itself probably stays around for other pickups40 8,those are possibilities10 ,mr4 ,ross admitted4 8,i mention it10 ,eddie's father said1 8only because1 if it's true1 the tubes which have been picked up off the sand bar are already delivered4 ,in that case1 your blueprints and my radioisotope are no longer secrets4 ,if not1 however1 both still must be on the submarine4 ,no sub could shuttle back and forth to a foreign shore fast enough to make delivery and get back within a week's time4 ,this is only a guess1 but they may lie a few miles offshore during the week as a safety measure and to conserve fuel4 ,they come in and surface just outside the bay each ,saturday1 under cover of darkness4 ,when they have everything they're after1 they'll head home4 ,since they already have sufficient samples of the isotope1 my guess is that they are now after the final blueprints4 ,the small samples of the isotope are now used only as tracers to help locate the submerged cylinders40 ,teena's father seemed immensely impressed by ,mr4 ,taylor's reasoning4 8,it so happens10 he said1 8that the blueprints we discovered missing today--added to the others--complete the entire layout of our new secret missile-guidance system4 ,in the hands of an unfriendly nation1 there's no telling to what improper use the guidance system might be put40 8,then10 ,mr4 ,jamison said1 8this must be the end of their assignment--tonight's delivery of the final blueprints40 8,that's right10 ,eddie's father said4 8,that's how it would appear40 ,mr4 ,evans came back into the room4 8,i've been arranging a little surprise party10 he said1 with a rather tense smile4 8,i couldn't help but overhear you1 ,mr4 ,taylor1 while ,i was waiting for one of my calls4 ,i think you've got that submarine angle pretty well figured out40 8,i spent a hitch in the ,navy10 ,eddie's father said1 smiling4 8,operating seagoing vessels--surface or subsurface--falls into a general pattern40 8,true10 ,mr4 ,evans agreed1 8and ,i doubt very much that any submarine refueling tanker would be hanging around even several hundred miles out4 ,like aircraft traffic1 shipping is run pretty well according to schedule4 ,a wandering tanker would simply invite curiosity4 ,but be that as it may1 the immediate task is to capture that submarine--if submarine there is4 ,we're still going on guesses40 8,what do you want us to do80 ,mr4 ,taylor asked4 8,it won't be necessary for any of you to do anything10 the ,,fbi man said4 8,i've lined up all the assistance needed4 ,everything is set40 8,you're going to arrest those two men1 aren't you80 ,eddie blurted out4 8,they--they're traitors60 8,they won't go anyplace10 ,mr4 ,evans assured him4 8,the important thing right now is that we don't tip off our plans4 ,possibly they have various signals worked out with the submarine4 ,things have to go right on schedule1 or we might lose the whole battle4 ,benton and ,simms are small fish and can be landed any time we want4 ,the big thing is the delivery of those blueprints and the isotope4 ,that's what we've got to stop40 ,the telephone on ,mr4 ,taylor's desk rang4 8,it's for you1 ,tom10 he said1 handing the instrument to ,teena's father4 8,file clerk80 ,mr4 ,ross said1 after listening a few seconds4 8,how about that6 ,thanks4 ,no1 don't say a word to anyone40 ,he hung up1 and turned to the ,,fbi man4 8,well1 there's your ,roy ,benton4 ,a file clerk4 ,new man4 ,been at ,acme just a little over a month4 ,can't figure1 though1 how he managed to get into the secret blueprint files4 ,they're kept locked up40 8,professional spies have ingenious ways of working10 ,mr4 ,evans said4 8,anyway1 it's pretty plain now how both the radioisotope and the blueprints happened to disappear4 ,one thing's equally certain4 ,this is all part of a carefully worked out plan4 ,the job now is to stop that plan--and stop it tonight40 8,oh1 ,i'm frightened10 ,teena said4 8,spies1 and submarines1 and--and--0 8,aw1 ,teena10 ,eddie said1 8there's nothing to be afraid of40 ,yet he had to clasp his own hands tightly together to keep them from shaking4 8,all right1 everybody10 ,mr4 ,evans said1 looking at his watch1 8within an hour everything will be set up4 ,i'm not free to reveal our plan4 ,however1 since you are all involved in this thing1 ,i have no objection to your witnessing the outcome4 ,if an outcome there is4 ,remember1 we're going primarily on guesses4 ,so1 if you want to drive quietly out to the lighthouse1 ,i've arranged--0 8,lighthouse60 ,eddie exclaimed4 8,we know ,captain ,daniels4 ,he's a good friend of ours40 8,i know10 ,mr4 ,evans said4 8,i talked to him on the phone4 ,he's a ,coast ,guard man1 you know4 ,and the ,coast ,guard is mighty important to tonight's activity4 ,you might find what goes on out there1 and in the bay1 extremely interesting to watch40 8,can ,teena and ,i go80 ,eddie asked anxiously4 8,of course10 ,mr4 ,evans said4 8,without you two1 we wouldn't have a thing to be working on1 would we80 ,eddie flushed with pride4 8,of course10 the ,,fbi man went on1 8you will have to ask your parents40 ,eddie looked pleadingly at his father4 ,neither ,mr4 ,taylor nor ,mr4 ,ross voiced any objection4 8,all right10 ,mr4 ,evans said1 rising1 8there's no time to waste4 ,i'll see you folks a little later40 ,he left the office4 ,the others sat for a moment as though trying to catch their breaths over the rapid developments of the past hours4 ,mr4 ,jamison excused himself to report back to ,drake ,ridge4 8,tom10 ,eddie's father said finally1 8we'd better call our wives and tell them we and the children will be home late40 8,unfinished business10 ,teena's father said thoughtfully4 8,that's right4 ,unfinished business40 ,,chapter ,,twelve ,teena and ,eddie1 with their fathers1 had hamburgers and milk at a roadside stand4 ,as soon as it was dark1 they drove toward the lighthouse4 ,they parked the car off the paved four-lane highway which ran several hundred yards back from the rocky point upon which the lighthouse stood4 ,the twisting1 twin-rutted road leading to the lighthouse was much more suitable to a jeep than to a modern low-slung car4 ,they had no more than climbed out of the car1 when a uniformed man stepped out of the darkness in front of them4 ,eddie gasped when he saw the rifle cradled in the stranger's arms1 poised ready for instant action4 8,halt and identify yourselves60 a voice challenged4 8,i'm ,steve ,taylor from ,oceanview ,college10 ,eddie's father spoke up quickly4 8,with me is ,mr4 ,tom ,ross4 ,also our two children40 8,all right1 sir10 the voice said1 more pleasantly now4 8,been expecting you4 ,go ahead1 sir40 8,wowee10 ,eddie whispered as they went down the dark road4 8,i wonder if there are guards all around here40 8,probably10 ,mr4 ,ross said4 8,they certainly set things up fast1 didn't they80 ,each time the lighthouse beacon swept around in its circle1 it cast a temporary glow upon the road1 making walking easy4 ,when they reached the base of the lighthouse1 they noticed several other shadowy forms moving about4 8,that you1 mates80 ,old ,captain ,daniels stepped out to meet them4 8,hello1 ,captain ,daniels10 ,eddie greeted4 8,it's us1 all right4 ,our fathers are with us40 ,captain ,daniels shook hands with the two men4 8,quite a party they're planning out here1 isn't it80 he said1 seeming to relish the excitement4 8,apparently10 ,eddie's father said4 8,although we don't know just what they're planning40 8,you will1 you will10 said ,captain ,daniels4 8,but right now ,i've got to check my light4 ,darker'n a ship's hold with a cargo of tar paper tonight1 it is4 ,won't be much to see--until things start poppin'4 ,might be a good idea to sit there in front of my cottage and watch down the coast4 ,just don't light any matches1 or make undue noise4 ,if you spot any strange lights1 things may start happening4 ,i probably won't see you for a while4 ,can't stop the light unless ,i'm up top40 ,he turned and started up the spiraling stairs4 8,stop the light80 ,eddie said4 8,i wonder what ,cap meant by that80 8,i don't know10 his father said4 8,i suppose you can stop those lights from turning in a circle if you want to4 ,don't know why anyone would want to1 though4 ,after all1 the beam is aimed rather high so it can be seen by ships far off the coast40 ,they waited over an hour4 ,except for the gentle sound of waves lapping the shore below1 and a throbbing ,coast ,guard plane passing by on its patrol1 an eerie silence filled the night4 ,looking seaward1 there was nothing to see but solid blackness4 ,three times each minute the beacon from the lighthouse swept a path of white through the sky4 ,since it was aimed high1 the beam didn't touch the water in the bay4 8,if anything is happening out there10 ,eddie said1 8how are we going to know about it80 8,i've been wondering that myself10 his father replied4 8,you'd think they would spot some search-lights along the beach or something10 ,mr4 ,ross said4 8,they couldn't very well do that1 ,tom10 ,mr4 ,taylor said4 8,they would risk tipping off the whole trap4 ,that ,evans fellow impressed me as knowing what to do4 ,his is a big responsibility1 and there certainly wasn't much time to weigh and measure things1 but--0 8,look60 ,teena said suddenly4 8,isn't that a light down there80 ,eddie's eyes followed the direction of her outstretched arm4 8,it sure is60 he said1 dropping his voice to a tense whisper4 8,it's flashing on and off60 ,the light was only a pinpoint in the distance4 ,it flicked off and on in a pattern of dots and dashes which ,eddie guessed was some kind of a code4 ,the beam was directed seaward4 8,eddie10 ,teena said1 8isn't that light about where the old fisherman's shack is80 8,i think so10 ,eddie said1 trying to judge in the darkness about how far down the coast the shack was from the lighthouse4 8,i figure you're right10 a voice spoke behind them4 ,all four turned4 ,they couldn't make out the stranger's face in the darkness1 but they could see that he was in ,navy uniform4 ,as the lighthouse beacon swung around1 ,eddie saw lieutenant's bars on his shoulders1 and the crossed-anchor insigne of the ,u4,s4 ,coast ,guard on his cap4 8,now we'll wait exactly twenty minutes40 8,wait for what80 ,eddie asked4 8,we're not sure10 the officer said4 8,but in twenty minutes we spring the trap4 ,might catch some big game1 might catch nothing4 ,please stay right where you are4 ,keep your voices low4 ,no lights of any kind40 ,he turned and went toward the lighthouse tower4 ,the ,coast ,guard officer had just left when ,teena grabbed ,eddie's arm4 8,look60 she whispered1 pointing out across the dark bay4 ,eddie sucked in his breath as a small light far out on the water flashed three times quickly1 then stopped4 8,something's moving into the trap1 all right10 his father whispered4 ,it was unbelievable to ,eddie that twenty minutes could be such a long time4 ,no one spoke4 ,nor were there any other flashes of light to indicate any kind of activity going on4 ,occasionally1 ,teena's father consulted the luminous dial of his wrist watch4 ,eddie wondered if he1 too1 found that twenty minutes was an awfully long time4 ,then1 as the tension inside of ,eddie mounted to the point of bursting1 the darkness was shattered by a sudden rush of activity4 ,it began when the enormous beacon in the lighthouse tower stopped rotating as the beam pointed out across the bay4 ,then1 amazingly1 the great finger of light was lowered until it flooded the outer edge of the bay in a brilliant blanket of white4 ,the sight revealed in the dazzling light caused all four of them to jump to their feet4 ,in the deep water beyond the bay1 and approximately half a mile offshore1 the deck and superstructure of a submarine stood out plainly on the surface of the calm water4 ,even at that distance1 ,eddie could make out the frantic scramble of men pinned in the blinding grip of light4 ,illustration3 444 he saw the small rubber boat moving in4 ,then he saw the small rubber boat moving in toward the sand bar of the bay4 ,three figures were plainly visible in it4 ,two had been paddling4 ,but the paddles were now frozen in the light4 ,the third figure was dressed in what looked like a skin-diving outfit4 ,the light reflected on the glass face plate pushed up onto his forehead4 ,suddenly the two men with the paddles swung about and started pulling frantically back toward the submarine4 8,that sub will try to dive60 ,eddie's father said quickly4 8,but the men in the rubber boat80 ,teena said4 8,they can't--0 8,they'll be left behind10 ,mr4 ,ross said tensely4 ,but whatever method of escape was intended1 it was quickly blocked4 ,out of the night came the throbbing roar of aircraft4 ,then two dark shapes circled into the glow of light from the lighthouse beacon4 8,coast ,guard planes60 ,mr4 ,taylor said4 ,adding to the brilliance1 the ,coast ,guard aircraft dropped magnesium flares directly over the surfaced submarine1 then continued their circling4 ,a new pulsating sound was added to the night scene as two helicopters swept past the lighthouse and slanted directly toward the submarine4 ,each helicopter carried two large barrellike objects under it4 8,depth charges10 ,teena's father said4 8,if that submarine tries to dive it's a goner40 ,apparently the commander of the submarine realized the futility of escape4 ,a white flag caught the light1 as someone on deck began waving it wildly4 ,more flares blossomed out as the aircraft circled around for the second time4 ,suddenly two ,coast ,guard patrol boats nosed into the lighted area4 ,one of them fired a warning shot over the bow of the undersea craft4 ,the white flag began to wave more urgently than ever4 ,the action had taken less than five minutes4 ,eddie's mind whirled with excitement4 ,and then1 almost as suddenly as it had started1 it was over4 ,one of the ,coast ,guard boats swept into the bay and picked up the men in the rubber raft4 ,the larger boat swerved in and lay alongside the submarine4 ,eddie could see the crew of the submarine being transferred to the launch4 ,a few remained1 while several armed ,coast ,guardsmen boarded the submarine4 ,within a few minutes the patrolling aircraft buzzed low over the scene for the last time1 then disappeared into the darkness1 returning to their base4 ,the helicopters swung back inland4 ,the unused depth charges were still racked securely beneath them4 8,boy1 that was some timing10 ,eddie's father said1 as the chop-chop-chop of the helicopters faded into the distance4 ,the submarine had started to move up the coast in the direction of the ,u4,s4 ,coast ,guard depot4 ,the flares sputtered out1 and all was quiet once more on the water4 ,suddenly the beam from the lighthouse slanted up to its normal position1 then began to revolve slowly in its familiar fashion4 8,well1 folks10 the ,coast ,guard lieutenant said1 coming up behind them1 8show's over for tonight40 8,and a real show it was10 ,teena's father said admiringly4 8,that was some display of teamwork40 8,all part of our training10 the officer said1 obviously pleased the way things had turned out4 8,we keep the wheels greased4 ,when they have to turn1 they turn smoothly40 8,tonight's proof positive of that10 ,mr4 ,taylor complimented4 8,my instructions10 the young officer said1 8are to escort you to the ,coast ,guard depot4 ,those taken into custody should be there by the time we arrive4 ,you may have a few questions to ask40 ,teena and ,eddie rode with the lieutenant in the gray sedan with 8,u4,s4 ,coast ,guard0 printed on its doors4 ,their fathers followed in ,mr4 ,taylor's car4 ,gates opened as they entered the ,coast ,guard depot a while later4 ,they were escorted into a large briefing room4 ,within two hours the investigation was complete enough to draw some firm conclusions4 ,mr4 ,evans1 of the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation1 and a ,captain ,foster1 of the ,u4,s4 ,coast ,guard1 stood before the group4 ,there were many strange faces in the room4 ,some of the men were in uniform2 some were not4 ,eddie supposed most of them were government or police officials of some kind4 ,under close guard over to one side of the room were two dozen or more men4 ,they were all strangers4 ,their uniforms1 although of a seaman's variety1 were completely unfamiliar to ,eddie4 ,there were also several men in civilian clothing being held under guard4 ,among them ,eddie saw the two unlucky fishermen he had come to know as ,harvey ,simms and ,roy ,benton4 ,they scowled darkly at him4 ,eddie scowled back4 ,mr4 ,evans seemed to have caught the exchange of glances4 8,remember10 he said to ,eddie1 8,i mentioned that we should have no trouble grabbing them whenever we wanted to4 ,well1 we got them4 ,a few others1 too4 ,simms and ,benton were sitting outside that old fisherman's shack1 still holding the battery lantern they used to signal the submarine40 8,boy1 oh1 boy60 ,eddie exclaimed4 8,now1 gentlemen10 ,mr4 ,evans went on1 turning to the main group1 8please regard all that is said here as confidential until it is officially released through the proper channels4 ,if you are wondering why these two young people are sitting in on this hush-hush session1 ,i take great pride and pleasure in informing you that1 without their alertness and curiosity over certain suspicious actions1 that submarine might now be on its way seaward carrying two secrets very precious to this country's security40 ,eddie blushed but felt mighty good4 ,teena looked at her hands1 trying to hide the pleased smile on her lips4 8,mr4 ,taylor and ,mr4 ,ross10 the ,,fbi man said1 8this should also please you4 ,we found two more of those sealed metal cylinders inside the submarine40 8,then they hadn't delivered them60 ,eddie's father said with obvious relief4 8,that's right4 ,in fact1 the submarine commander has admitted that they have been lying about thirty miles off the coast during the week4 ,tonight was their third trip to the bay4 ,incidentally1 it was scheduled to be their last4 ,they had plenty of the secret radioisotope1 and today's blueprint delivery completed the main set on the new missile-guidance system they also were after4 ,if we hadn't set the trap tonight1 we would have been too late--another reason for appreciating the alertness on the parts of your son1 ,eddie1 and ,mr4 ,ross's daughter1 ,teena4 8,now10 ,mr4 ,evans continued1 8we haven't had time to solve who was behind all of this1 or why4 ,we have our ideas1 of course1 but it's going to take considerable investigation to draw a full and clear picture4 ,at the moment1 ,i'm not free to reveal to what country that submarine belongs4 ,i did think1 though1 that you two gentlemen deserved to know that the isotope and the blueprints are safe40 8,it will be a long time1 ,i imagine1 before either ,mr4 ,ross or ,i will hear better news10 ,eddie's father said4 8,in order not to delay nuclear research1 nor to hold up production at ,acme ,aircraft10 the ,,fbi man said1 8we're sending the tubes with you under armed guard to your laboratory1 and you can take over from there40 8,with great pleasure10 ,teena's father said4 8,and ,i believe1 gentlemen10 ,mr4 ,evans went on1 8that's probably your main interest at the moment4 ,the rest of it you will doubtless read about in your newspapers within a day or two4 ,i imagine the lights and commotion out around the bay a while ago attracted plenty of attention4 ,even with the naked eye1 it would be simple to identify a submarine lying on the surface4 ,newsmen are crowding the gates outside right now4 ,they'll get their story as soon as we've filled in a few gaps and get a release from ,washington4 ,all ,i ask is that you do no talking about it until it has been cleared for the press4 ,all right80 8,of course10 ,mr4 ,taylor said4 8,we won't say a word10 ,eddie promised fervently4 8,no1 sir10 ,teena backed him up4 8,well1 then10 ,mr4 ,ross said1 rising1 8,i guess you won't need us any more40 8,we'll call you if there's anything else10 ,mr4 ,evans said by way of dismissing them4 8,before you go1 though1 ,i do want to thank you all for your fine co-operation4 ,particularly you two young people40 ,he smiled again at ,teena and ,eddie4 8,this may sound awfully big--and it is--but you've both done a great service for your country4 ,as long as we have alert young ,americans like you two1 this country's future is in good hands40 ,a burst of applause went up4 ,it seemed a strange place for it1 there in the briefing room4 ,eddie found it almost impossible to conceal the pride that puffed up inside of him4 ,teena was grinning1 too1 as they got up to follow their fathers outside4 ,both of them took a last look around the room4 ,they saw the group of sullen men in strange uniforms4 ,they saw the tall man and the fat man1 whose clumsy efforts at being fishermen had first aroused their suspicions4 ,they saw the pleased looks on the faces of the ,,fbi agent1 the ,coast ,guardsmen1 and the others in the 8friendly0 side of the room4 ,they saw their fathers walking toward the door1 carefully carrying the all-important metal tubes4 ,neither ,teena nor ,eddie could find anything to say4 ,then they were outside4 ,the stars blinked overhead4 ,every few seconds the circling beacon from the distant lighthouse swept its white finger across the sky4 ,the cool breeze from the nearby ocean gave added zest to their high spirits4 8,isn't it wonderful how everything worked out1 ,eddie80 ,teena said finally4 8,and to think that we were some help40 8,yep10 ,eddie said4 8,it all worked out great1 didn't it8 ,really great40 ,walking proudly1 they followed their fathers toward the parking lot4 ,transcriber's ,notes --,copyright notice provided as in the original--this e-text is public domain in the country of publication4 --,silently corrected palpable typos2 left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged4 --,in the text versions1 delimited italics text in underscores 7the ,,html version reproduces the font form of the printed book47