“Do you mean we’d have gone up the spout with the fish?”
DEADLY TRAWLER 41
Tom shrugged. “Probably-I’m glad we didn’t find out. Our jets might have carried us within the pull of the intake suction.”
“S-s-sufferin’ seals!” Bud shuddered at the thought of their narrow escape.
“I’ll bet I was dazed enough. If it hadn’t been for you, pal, I’ll bet that trawler would have landed its first California pilot fish by now I”
“What a fish story that would have made,” Tom remarked with a grin.
Suddenly he exclaimed, “Budl Those lights on the seamount have van-ishedl”
“Well, I’ll be an oyster’s uncle! We weren’t seeing things before, were we?”
“We saw lights and no mistake,” Tom retorted. “Let’s try for another look!”
The fish, or what was left of the swarming shoal, were now dispersing as if the electric fishing rig had been turned off or withdrawn from the water. In order not to take any risks, Tom and Bud circled widely and approached the undersea formation from a different direction.
Once more the boys felt the same tingling sensation, and again fish began to swarm past them!
“Veer off, Bud!” Tom warned. “Let’s not get caught twice by the same trick!”
When the hydronauts were safely out of range again, Bud shot his pal a puzzled look. “You said trick, Tom. Are you implying that someone’s giving us the underwater hotfoot on purpose?”
42 AQUATOMIC TRACKER
“Just a hunch, but I’d almost bet on it,” Tom said grimly. “The usual electric fishing rig has an effective current range of about eighty feet, but the gear we’re up against must be tremendously more powerful. If the trawler’s stationed up there to guard the seamount, that would explain why.”