Hank Sterling squeezed the young inventor’s arm. “You know Bud’s high spirits, skipper,” he said. “He may have taken off on some crazy lark.”
“Surel A whale hunt, maybel” Arv Hanson wisecracked, trying to lighten the gloom.
Tom forced a grin, but he remained heavy-hearted as they neared the base.
His only hope now was that a radio message from the jetmarine might have been picked up while they were gone.
As soon as the seacopter was moored, Tom
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leaped ashore. The crewmen on the docks had no news to report, so Tom piled into a jeep with Arv and sped off to the Fearing communications center.
Hank remained aboard the Sea Hound to secure all gear.
Churning along the graveled road, Tom and Arv passed the launching area.
Huge, needle-nosed cargo rockets and the mighty spaceship Titan loomed against the sky. Tom’s moon-voyaging Challenger and his more recent space craft the Cosmic Sailer were also based there.
“Going to alert the Navy for a search?” Arv inquired as they reached the communications building.
Tom nodded and braked the jeep to a screeching halt. “Coast Guard too.
They can pass the word to commercial shipping to be on the lookout.”
A telephone rang as he hurried into the office.
“For you,” the clerk said, looking up at Tom. “Nice timing!”
Tom grabbed the phone. His face widened into a grin. “Budl You seagoing jet streaml What happened?”
Arv grinned, too, in relief.
“Your antidetection gear worked so well we vanished right out of the ocean!”
Bud replied with a chuckle. Turning serious, he reported how his jetmarine had trailed the mysterious intruder