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DANGER BELOW! A RICK BRANT SCIENCE-ADVENTURE STORY, no. 23 BY JOHN BLAINE Grosset & Dunlap ASIN: B0006BVRZA
AGAINST an authentic background of deep-sea diving, John Elaine tells a fast-paced, entertaining adventure. To solve the mystery of a sunken oil-drilling platform, Rick Brant and his pal Don Scott must find out why their diving boat was sabotaged, fight their way through the menace of a blue shark pack, and use the technique of helium-oxygen diving from the submersible Sea Horse at a quarter of a mile below the surface of the Atlantic. Clues above and below the sea and combat with a giant lobster-all figure excitingly in a nefarious plot that challenges the detective skills of Rick and Scotty.
CHAPTER I The “Sea Horse” Torrential rains, forerunner of Hurricane Donna, lashedSpindriftIsland . The gloom was that of twilight, although it was onlymidafternoon of an August day. Rick Brant, tall teen-aged son of the Spindrift Scientific Foundation Director, stood at the kitchen window in the big Brant home on the island’s northeast corner and peered through the curtain of rain at the gray bulk of the laboratory building“It” was in the lab, waiting for him-whatever “It” was. He had been trying to guess, but he had no basis for guessing. Behind him, at the kitchen table, he knew that his pretty sister Barby was smiling to herself. One of Rick’s principal characteristics was curiosity, as Barby well knew. Rick smiled as he turned away from the window. It wasn’t often that Barby had a chance to keep him in suspense, and he didn’t begrudge her the opportunity. But he did want to see the surprise she had promised. His mother and the girls had met Scotty and him less than two and a half hours ago atKennedyInternationalAirport , and no sooner were the boys through Customs than Barby had burst out with her big news. “Wait until you get home and see what’s in the lab! You’ll flip, honestly. It’s the absolute, incredible end!” She had refused to say any more, and she had sworn Jan and Mrs. Brant to secrecy. Seated at the kitchen table with Barby were Mrs. Brant, Don Scott-who rated as a member of the family-and Jan Miller, daughter of one of the staff scientists. They were all watching Rick with knowing grins. He decided to be casual. “Are you sure this surprise is important enough for us to get soaking wet? Won’t it keep until Dad gets home fromPhiladelphia ?Or until the rain stops?” He had been wondering, too, what business could have taken his father to thePennsylvania city. He knew of no Spindrift interests there.
Barby, a slim, pretty blond a year his junior, matched the casualness with which he had asked the question. “Of course it will keep. We can look tomorrow.” Her blue eyes were laughing. Lovely, dark-haired Jan Miller added, “Of course, the rain may not stop for several days. This is hurricane weather, Rick.” Scotty, a husky, powerfully built boy slightly older than Rick, grinned with appreciation. “This silly dialogue sounds real. A stranger would never know that Rick is itching to get into raincoat and hat and run to the lab. Or that Barby and Jan can’t wait until he does.” Rick sat down at the table and grinned at Scotty. I’m glad you’re so casual about it.” “Nothing bothers me,” Scotty said airily. “And that,” Barby stated, “is as phony as Rick playing it cool. Mother,may we be excused? We’ve all had enough.” “The boys didn’t eat very much,” Mrs. Brant said. “If you knew how much food we’ve stowed away in the past couple of weeks, you’d put us on a diet,” Scotty told her. Rick gave his mother a kiss. “We’ve had more than enough, Mom. After all, it’s only a few hours until dinnertime.” Again he wondered what the laboratory held. Whatever it was, the project must have come up suddenly. A few weeks before, as he and Scotty had been winding up their plans for a trip toEurope , the Spindrift scientists had been planning to spend