“What is it?” Tom asked.
“Day before yesterday a fellow named Dansitt was arrested in a small town below here for speeding,” Slater began. “The car was owned by the passenger, George Jennig, a Florida lawyer. After we heard from you we alerted other stations.”
120 TOM SWIFT AND HIS JETMARINE
“Where’s Dansitt now?” Tom asked excitedly.
“I don’t know. But let me tell you the rest of the story. He and Jennig paid their fine and were let off. But this morning at four o’clock the same car was found abandoned near a beach on the ocean south of here. There’s no trace of the men.”
“So you think it’s possible that they might have been picked up by a sub?”
Tom asked, his heart pounding.
“Exactly!” Slater answered. “Be pretty hard to locate them now. But a guard’s being set near their car. If they come for it, they’ll be taken into custody.”
Tom hung up, but a moment later was asking the long-distance operator to connect him with Admiral Hopkins in Washington.
Screening his conversation as best he could from any eavesdroppers on the line, the inventor told the officer what had happened in the past few hours and of his own plan to take a look at the suspected islands.
“I’d appreciate having your patrol stay away from the immediate area,” Tom requested. “But near enough for me to call on them if I need help. I want to have a try at rescuing my uncle, Ned Newton, without having the pirates aware I’m around,” he explained.
“Good enough. I’ll arrange things as you wish,” the admiral promised. “Good luck, Tom!”
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