sudden glare. "What did he say?"

"Brad just left. He was phoning from Jake's Grill. I guess that's the
only place in Seaford that's open all night."

"My guess that he wouldn't go out tonight was certainly bum," Rick
said. "The smuggling business must be good. How long did he figure it
would take Brad to reach the other side of the fishing grounds?"

"About an hour."

Rick looked at his watch again. "That doesn't give him much time
before daybreak. It starts to get light at about half past four at
this time of year. Well, let's get dressed."

Rick slipped into slacks and a heavy woolen shirt, because it would be
cold before dawn. Then he put on woolen socks and moccasins. He was
getting his motion-picture camera from the closet when Scotty came in,
fully dressed. Rick tucked an extra reel of infrared film into his
shirt pocket and grinned at his pal.

"How's your nerve?"

"Mine doesn't matter," Scotty returned cheerfully. "How's yours?
That's what counts."

"We'll soon know." Rick paused as his mother called softly. "Yes,
Mom?"

He walked to the door of his parents' bedroom.

"Be very careful," Rick's mother cautioned. And Hartson Brant added,
"Don't forget distances look different at night, son, even with
landing lights."

"I'll be careful," he promised. "We'll be back in a little while."

He motioned to Scotty and then snapped out the lights and went down
the stairs. He left the camera on the porch and they walked to the
boat landing, hiking briskly because it was chilly. Their plan was to
take both boats to the Whiteside landing and leave one of them there,
to provide a means for getting back to the island after they had
landed at the airport. Probably it would have been more sensible to
have left the plane at the airport, too, but that meant a walk from
the boat landing and Rick hadn't been sure how much time they would
have.

In a short while they were back at Spindrift. They picked up the
camera and walked past the orchard to where the Cub was parked,
looking a little unfamiliar with the landing lights shining in the
moonlight.

Rick stopped for another look at the sky. He had studied it
periodically from the moment they left the house. There was a little
fair weather cumulus cloud scattered here and there, but nothing that
would interfere with visibility. There was a good moon, between a half
and three-quarters full. Rick would have preferred the brightest of
full moons, but he philosophized