ice cream.

"We thought Zircon might help us work out a system of getting fixes on
the transmitters," Steve said. "As it happened, we got a lucky break.
The subs happened to have their devices pointed at St. Croix
simultaneously when a beam scanned them. They got a fix on it. We flew a
team of frogmen down in a Navy amphibian right in the middle of the
second storm. They found it, and got the men who were handling it. One
of them talked."

Jimmy Kelly picked up the story, "You arrived with Zircon at about the
same time the St. Croix team took off from our base, and headed right
into the storm. They didn't get back until late last night, and it was
nearly dawn before we got the story from the man who talked. Then we
loaded on this DE and headed here."

"I'm glad you didn't wait ten minutes longer," Rick said fervently.
"They foxed us. I kept listening for their boat, but they didn't use
it."

"They probably decided to swim out and sneak up on you," Zircon stated.
"After capturing Tony last night, their suspicions were probably aroused
somewhat. Even if they swallowed his story entirely, it would be only
good sense to check up."

Tony looked hurt. "I'm sorry you don't think my story was enough to
allay their suspicions entirely. But speaking of listening for their
boat, why didn't you hear this ship coming? And why didn't the fancy
frogmen?"

Rick thought that one over. "We wouldn't have heard the ship until it
was very close because of the noise our bubbles make. But we should have
heard it about the time it left the reef opening near our cottage. I
don't know why we didn't."

"And I don't know why we didn't see it," Scotty added. "It's big enough
to be spotted at horizon distance."

Jimmy grinned. "We pulled a fast one. We had enough steerageway to drift
over your position after a few turns of the screws down by the reef
passage. You see, we didn't know what was going on, so we took no
chances. Then, when we got into position, we got into the water without
waiting to anchor. We dropped anchor right after we got both of you out,
but you probably didn't notice."

"I couldn't have cared less, at that point," Rick said, and Scotty
echoed the sentiment.

"The reason why you didn't see us coming is that we came from the other
side of the island. It's safer for a ship that draws as much water as
this one. Tony spotted us as we approached the southern point."

Steve grinned. "Anyway, it's a good idea to move in o