“I think that man is Marvin Hein!” Tom announced. “He fits the description to a T that Asa Pike gave us up in Hankton. I think he’s here to sabotage our rocket, and he chose the one way to get here that would avoid detection by both our radar and sonar defenses. It was just pure luck for us that he happened to swim into Chow’s fishing weir.”
AN IMPORTANT CAPTURE 145
“You mean I really caught a big fish, after all?” Chow exclaimed jubilantly.
“Well, you sure got to thank my new lectric eels what you sent for, Tom. I was cartin” ‘em down to the water, when what do I see in my flashlight but that critter flounderin’ around in my trap. I figgered he sure didn’t have no business there.”
The Swifts smiled, then Mr. Swift became serious. “It’s my opinion our visitor may have entered the country illegally,” he said. “We’ll suggest to the police that he be held on suspicion.”
Within a few minutes Ames returned with a small flat metal case to which were attached four coils of thin insulated wire.
“Look what I found on Ward,” he said, and handed the box to Tom.
The two inventors examined it. “Just as I thought,” Tom said excitedly. “This is a relay circuit with a built-in timing device to ignite the Star Spear prematurely, after it had been fueled. This is probably how the rocket was set off when Ames was aboard. Once connected in place, it would be a cinch to hide this thing.”
“The box itself,” Mr. Swift remarked, “has a tiny distorter on it so our radar couldn’t pick up the device. After the frogman was safe on land, he’d remove the distorter.” Grimly he laid a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Tom, I believe your life and Bud’s have been spared. This stranger intended to put this device in your new rocket ship.”