The Wailing Octopus Part 27

A figure dove to meet Rick. He angled away, fighting the impulse to breathe, keeping the compressed air moving out of his lungs. The figure angled with him, then suddenly sheered off. Rick shot past and the figure followed.

These new frogmen were diving in midseason suits. He was aware of nearly a dozen of them. He didn't count them; with his terrible need for oxygen he didn't care that much.

He knew he would make it. He had to! But where was Scotty?

Rick shot to the surface, went right through it, his impetus carrying him into the blessed air. He gulped a great lungful before he fell back with a splash, and as he hit water his fins were flailing, to carry him toward the hastily glimpsed sh.o.r.e.

A masked figure surfaced beside him and called, "Take it easy!"

He only moved faster. The frogman caught him easily, because the power was gone from his leg strokes now. But he had enough strength to fight.

He reached for the frogman's face plate, and a strong arm pushed him back.

A voice penetrated his consciousness. "Stop it, Rick, or I'll have to let you have one."

The frogman knew his name! He hesitated, fist pulled back to throw the best punch he had left, and the new frogman back-pedaled.

"Hold it," the frogman called, and lifted his face mask.

Rick stopped moving, staring numbly.

Jimmy Kelly! Lieutenant Kelly!

"I'll tow you to the boat," the lieutenant called. "Relax."

Rick obeyed, head spinning. He was a little groggy, and he couldn't make sense out of things. How had Kelly got here?

And Scotty! Where was Scotty? He started struggling again, calling his friend's name.

"He's all right," Kelly said urgently. "Relax, Rick!"

Rick caught the words, and they penetrated. How did Kelly know Scotty was all right? But the lieutenant had spoken with authority, so he relaxed.

Kelly towed him to the landing stage of the ship Rick had seen, a destroyer escort. Willing hands lifted him from the water. He slumped down on the edge of the stage, shaking his head to clear it while Navy frogmen stripped his aqualung harness from him and pulled the mask from his face.

A voice said, "Drink this."

A mug of steaming black coffee was thrust into his hand and he sipped, grateful for the spreading warmth it brought.

Suddenly he started again. "Scotty! Where is he?"

"Up here, Rick, with me."

He looked up, and his eyes focused again--on Tony and Zircon!

A motor whaleboat drew up to the landing stage, and two husky frogmen handed up a suited figure. "Here's one, Lieutenant," a frogman called.

"All right, Danny. Where's the other?"

"Heading for the reef at top speed. Jonesy's after him."

"Go help Jonesy haul him in."

"Yes, Sir." The motor whaleboat veered off and sped toward sh.o.r.e.

A frogman surfaced almost at Rick's feet. He instinctively drew back, and the frogman gripped the edge of the stage, spat out his mouthpiece, and pulled up his mask with the other hand.

Rick found himself looking at Steve Ames! What was he doing here?

"Where's the bra.s.s ball?" Steve asked.

"I don't know."

With an effort Rick pulled his scattered wits together. His mind began to work again. Obviously, through some miracle Steve and Zircon had arrived on a Navy ship with Jimmy Kelly and a detachment of Navy frogmen.

Scotty called from on deck. "It's at the octopus cave, Steve. I saw one of the frogmen drop it there."

Steve hauled himself out to the landing stage. He grinned at Rick.

"Feeling better?"

"Much," Rick said. He was beginning to feel nearly human again.

"Let's go on deck. I want to find out about this octopus cave."

Rick stood up, and was surprised to find that he didn't wobble. He followed Steve up the ladder to the deck and found Scotty seated on a canvas stool, sipping coffee.

Zircon asked anxiously, "Are you all right, Rick?"

Tony said, "Here's the doctor for a look at you."

A young Navy officer joined them and motioned Rick to a canvas stool. He applied a stethoscope and listened, then grunted his satisfaction. "He seems all right. Pulse a little fast, but that's to be expected. You had a slight dose of oxygen starvation. Feel better now?"

Rick nodded. He was beginning to feel wonderful. They were out of it, and with whole skins.

Scotty grinned sheepishly. "I abandoned you. I had to, because I ran completely out of air. I shoved my man away and headed for the surface.

I felt pretty guilty about leaving you with two of them."

Rick returned the grin. "I felt the same way. I thought I'd abandoned you. But I see you got to the surface first."

Steve accepted a cup of coffee and squatted on the deck, facing them.

"Suppose we start from the beginning. What happened?"

Rick told him, starting from the moment when they had heard the bra.s.s ball wail. He finished, "There were three of them. Did you get them all?"

"Yes. Including one with a spear through his leg. The last one is just being hauled aboard now. He tried to get to the island."

Jimmy Kelly and a group of frogmen joined them. Jimmy asked, "How about the sounding gear, Steve?"