Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift Jr 23 – And His Aquatomic Tracker

Events moved fast in the next few days. The Maritime Administration willingly provided the surplus freighter. Spruced up and freshly painted -and still bearing the stack stripes of the private shipping line-the S.S. Jason Rockwell came steaming into Baltimore and tied up at a pier.

Crates stenciled for shipment to Kabulistan were loaded aboard. None of the longshoremen who handled them was aware that the crates were filled with rusty scrap.

Meanwhile, the Abingdon Art Museum had cooperated by releasing a news story that it was selling its Rembrandt to the Shah of Kabulistan -who had agreed privately to help out with the scheme. The announcement caused a storm of indignation in the press. The museum’s founder, Julius K. Abingdon, replied that the museum needed funds to enlarge its collection of modern and primitive art.

Tom felt sure the news would reach Vaxilis wherever he might be hiding.

An object that looked like a crated painting, with waterproof, fireproof covering, was trucked from the museum to the pier and loaded aboard the Rockwell, which was constantly guarded for intruders. Navy frogmen kept a watch underwater for any attempt to attach a bomb to the ship’s hull. Guards were also stationed on the dock-but told to look as if they were keeping a careless

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watch. All but three of the crew were ashore on liberty.

The Sea Hound, meanwhile, was lurking in Chesapeake Bay. The night before the Rockwell was to sail, Tom received a radio call from Ames.

“Looks as if Vaxilis has taken the bait!” Ames reported excitedly. “A bomb was planted aboard the Rockwell at eleven-fifteen. We’ve disarmed it, and the FBI’s tailing the saboteur to pick up confederates-but there’ll be no arrest until we hear from you.”