“We’re the police officers you asked for,” one said. Both showed their identification and said the police boat lay some distance away to avoid detection by Whaley.
After a hasty conference it was decided that the officers and the boys would hide in the ketch’s
A DANGEROUS RENDEZVOUS 157
cabin while Moose Wixman remained on deck.
At nine o’clock they heard a faint splash of oars. “I think Whaley’s coming now,” Moose whispered.
Several tense moments went by. Then the four inside heard a boat bump alongside. Peering out from the cabin entrance, the watchers saw Whaley climb aboard. He was holding what looked like a shoe box under one arm.
“I won’t be staying long,” he confided to Moose. “Just want to take a look at something on board and leave this package. Then you can take the ketch back where you got it.”
Whaley pulled out a wallet and peeled off several bills and handed them to Wixman. “There’s your hundred bucks.”
Tom suddenly detected a ticking sound. It was coming from the shoe boxl He put his lips close to his companions’ ears. “A time bomb!”
He leaped from his hiding place, followed by Bud and the two frogmen.
Whaley, taken by surprise, had no time to do more than snarl with rage.
Before he could resist, one of the officers snatched the deadly boxl CHAPTER XVIII
THE COSMIC SAILER
IN A moment Whaley was handcuffed, and Tom clicked on a powerful flashlight. “Now tell us what’s in that box!” one of the frogmen snapped.
Whaley stared wildly at his captors. He opened his mouth but no words came out. Meanwhile, the ticking continued.
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