CHAPTER VII.

Sea Detectives.

MRS. Cosgrove realized that Nancy was concerned, and tried to cheer her up. "Look, Danny is a very reliable boatman," she said. "They could have become stuck during low tide. Instead of sitting here and waiting, why don't we all go to see a friend of mine? She has a little private zoo, which I'm sure you would enjoy."

"That sounds great," Nancy said. "But before we leave, do you mind if I phone the Coast Guard and ask if they've had a report of an accident?"

"Of course not," Mrs. Cosgrove said. "Go ahead."

Nancy learned that no trouble had been reported and felt better.

"I'll stay here and wait for George and Danny," Mr. Cosgrove said. "You enjoy yourselves."

Mrs. Cosgrove drove her guests along the waterfront until they came to a large estate. She pulled in, stopped at the front door, and rang the bell. To her disappointment she was told by the woman who answered that her friend, Mrs. Easton, was away for the day, and so was the animal trainer.

"I'd like to show my visitors from the North your zoo," Mrs. Cosgrove said. "Is it all right?"

"Yes, indeed," the woman replied. "Go ahead. You'll probably meet Eric, our gamekeeper. He'll show you around."

The man was not in sight. Mrs. Cosgrove, who had been to the estate many times, drove on. She told the girls a bit about the birds, turtles, and snakes that were in large covered cages.

"That flamingo is gorgeous!" Bess exclaimed, watching the long-legged creature with the pink feathers and dignified-looking head walk daintily across a fenced-in lawn. In the center was a pool.

Mrs. Cosgrove pointed out an enormous turtle and remarked, "They live to a very old age. I've heard of some that had dates carved on their backs showing they were a hundred and twenty-five years old!"

In another wire-mesh enclosure were a variety of snakes.

"I'm not going to look at them!" Bess declared. "They give me the creeps."

Mrs. Cosgrove laughed. "If you lived in Florida, you'd have to get used to snakes. We have all kinds and sizes. Some are beautiful, and all are very graceful."

"I'll take your word for it," Bess said and was glad when Mrs. Cosgrove pa.s.sed the snake pen and stopped the car some distance away. She and the girls got out and walked to a spot directly on the bay. Here there was a large enclosure, part of it extending into the bay.

"A pair of crocodiles," Mrs. Cosgrove said, resting her elbows on the cement fencing.

As the onlookers watched, one of the reptiles got up and walked into the water. At the same time Nancy spotted a canoe being paddled under the overhanging mangrove trees along the sh.o.r.e. In it were three boys. Without warning, one threw a large piece of coral rock at the reptile. Fortunately it missed.

The move annoyed the crocodile, however. He turned back to join his mate. The boys in the canoe paddled off quickly.

"I'm glad they're gone," Nancy said. "I'd hate to see the croc injured."

Mrs. Cosgrove explained that the creature's hide was so thick that it was almost impossible to hurt its back. "But if something hits a crocodile in the eyes, it's very painful."

Bess asked, "Do these crocs have names?"

Mrs. Cosgrove smiled. "Yes. They're Lord and Lady Charming."

Nancy and Bess laughed, and Bess remarked, "They don't look very charming to me."

As if he had heard her, the larger of the two crocodiles emitted a low growl, followed by a hiss. He opened his jaws wide.

Bess retreated in a hurry. "W-what's the matter with him?"

Suddenly several small fish, sucked up through a pipe running into the enclosure from the salt water, were sprayed into the pen. The crocodile forgot it was angry. With lightning speed he ran down into the water and grabbed several fish with his great jaws, then closed them with a resounding crack.

At this moment the canoe with the three Boys returned. This time each of them was armed with large pieces of coral rock. They pitched them over the wall of the enclosure directly at the big reptiles. One of the rocks. .h.i.t Lord Charming on one eye. It was obviously painful, for he began swishing madly in a circle, growling and hissing.

"Get away from here!" Nancy yelled at the boys. "Don't do that again!" The youngsters, looking scared, quickly paddled out of sight.

The crocodile swished his great tail back and forth so rapidly in the water that it sprayed into the air, soaking the onlookers.

"Eric!" Mrs. Cosgrove called frantically. "Eric, come quickly!"

The gamekeeper, a tall man with a gray beard, ran toward the enclosure and looked at Lord Charming. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"His eye," Mrs. Cosgrove answered.

"Poor old fellow!" Eric said. "He's in pain, all right. I hope he won't lose the sight of that eye. Let me get something to put on it."

He hurried off and returned with a tube of salve and a pole with a hook on the end of it. Fearlessly he jumped over the cement wall and talked soothingly to the crocodile. "Sorry, old boy," he said. "Come now, Lord Charming, let me help you."

Nancy and her friends watched in fascination as Eric flipped the reptile onto his back with the pole, and squirted some of the salve into his injured eye.

All this time Lady Charming had been watching from a distance. When her mate turned over onto his stomach, she hurried forward. Using the pole for support, Eric leaped high over the concrete fence.

The visitors clapped. "You're marvelous," Mrs. Cosgrove said.

Eric grinned. "It's all in a day's work. Tell me how Lord Charming got hurt."

Nancy reported that three mean boys had come by in a canoe and hit the crocodile.

Eric scowled. "I can't stand people, big or little, who take advantage of a defenseless animal!"

"Where's the trainer today?" Mrs. Cosgrove asked.

"It's his day off," Eric replied. "You must come back when he's here. I'm sure you girls would enjoy the various acts he puts on with the animals,"

"We will," Mrs. Cosgrove promised, then the visitors turned to leave.

When they reached home, George and Danny were back. They explained their delay, saying they had been caught in the low tide.

"Did you pick up any new clues?" Nancy asked.

"I think so," George replied. "We went all the way to Crocodile Island. There was no periscope in sight. But The Whisper The Whisper was tied up at the dock. We got near enough to overhear voices. Apparently someone was talking on a radio telephone." was tied up at the dock. We got near enough to overhear voices. Apparently someone was talking on a radio telephone."

"What did he say?" Nancy asked eagerly.

"Tonight at eight," George replied.

"What do you think it meant?" Bess asked.

George said she and Danny had figured out that either someone was coming to the island or that The Whisper The Whisper was taking off for a rendezvous with another boat. was taking off for a rendezvous with another boat.

Nancy was excited by the report. "I think you're right," she said. "Let's go out there this evening and see what happens."

Danny said that the tide would be perfect for the trip. He turned to Mrs. Cosgrove. "Okay with you, Mother?"

She smiled. "It sounds like a great adventure, Of course, you must be careful not to get caught. You've been warned to stay away from that place, so take it easy!"

She packed a picnic supper for the young people, and before six o'clock Danny and the girls set off.

They ate the food on the way, and arrived at Crocodile Island before sunset. The Whisper The Whisper left sometime later, and Danny followed it. left sometime later, and Danny followed it.

Nancy remarked that she was glad they were in a covered boat, "This way our enemies won't suspect we're in it, even if they see us," she said.

Danny nodded. "And the Sampson Sampson is powerful enough so we won't lose them," he said. is powerful enough so we won't lose them," he said.

The Whisper headed out into the green channel and traveled for miles and miles. headed out into the green channel and traveled for miles and miles.

"It seems as if they're going around the world," Bess said after dusk had come on. "Do we have enough gas to follow them?"

"Our supply won't last forever," Danny said, "but we can follow for several miles and still have enough gas for the return trip."

More time pa.s.sed, then suddenly the young people spotted the vague outline of a large freighter. It was too dark to see its name or country of origin.

"I wonder if The Whisper The Whisper is going to rendezvous with that ship," Nancy said. She took the binoculars out of their case and scanned the area. "They're both running without lights. Danny, I think we'd better turn ours off, too." is going to rendezvous with that ship," Nancy said. She took the binoculars out of their case and scanned the area. "They're both running without lights. Danny, I think we'd better turn ours off, too."

Danny complied and said, "I wonder if The Whisper The Whisper and the freighter are still in motion." He flicked on the and the freighter are still in motion." He flicked on the Sampson's Sampson's sonar and detected the sound of sonar and detected the sound of The Whisper's The Whisper's motor. "The freighter is standing still and motor. "The freighter is standing still and The Whisper The Whisper is idling alongside," he said. is idling alongside," he said.

"Can we go any closer without being detected?" George asked.

"I think so," he replied. "We'll advance slowly. I'll keep the engine as low as possible."

"It's getting very misty out here," George observed. "I hope we'll be able to see what's going on."

Danny chuckled. "At least they won't see us us!"

He drew up to within a hundred yards of The Whisper The Whisper and cut his motor again. The four young people strained their eyes and ears, eager to find out why the two craft had met. Suddenly a bright searchlight was turned on, revealing the deck of the freighter and illuminating the smaller boat alongside it. and cut his motor again. The four young people strained their eyes and ears, eager to find out why the two craft had met. Suddenly a bright searchlight was turned on, revealing the deck of the freighter and illuminating the smaller boat alongside it.

Nancy and her friends were terrified that they might be seen. Would the beam penetrate the mist far enough so the Sampson Sampson could be spotted? could be spotted?

CHAPTER VIII.

Indian Tricks.

THE four watchers in the Sampson Sampson held their breath. Would they be kidnapped and taken aboard the freighter? held their breath. Would they be kidnapped and taken aboard the freighter?

Although the brilliant searchlight showed up the Sampson Sampson clearly, the two men paid attention only to the freighter. The young people observed a large pine box being lowered from the freighter to clearly, the two men paid attention only to the freighter. The young people observed a large pine box being lowered from the freighter to The Whisper The Whisper.

Bess gave a little low scream. "Let's go!" she urged. "Somebody's going to be buried at sea!"

The others disagreed. Nancy said, "If that box were a coffin, there would be no need for a secret transfer. The freighter could have lowered it into the sea."

"Then what is it carrying?" Bess asked.

Nancy said she wished she knew that and where The Whisper The Whisper would take the box. would take the box.

Suddenly the great searchlight was turned off. Then the regular lights on the freighter beamed again and its engines began to roar. Within seconds the large craft started to move northward.

"Where do you suppose it's going?" Danny asked.

"My guess," Nancy replied, "is Bridgeport, Connecticut. Remember, that's where the owners of The Whisper The Whisper are from." are from."

"What do you think the freighter brought?" George asked.

Nancy shrugged. "Obviously something very secret. Maybe it'll be buried on one of the keys, like pirate treasure."

"I think the box contains something they need on Crocodile Island," George suggested.

"I doubt that they need corpses," Bess said dryly.

Danny laughed. "Let's follow The Whisper The Whisper, I'm sure it'll go back to the island. Perhaps we can find out what's in the pine box."

The lights of The Whisper The Whisper were still out, but they could hear its motor running. Danny listened carefully, then frowned. "It sounds as if they're going out to sea!" he declared. were still out, but they could hear its motor running. Danny listened carefully, then frowned. "It sounds as if they're going out to sea!" he declared.

"Can we follow it?" Nancy asked, excited.

"We don't have that much fuel. Also, with no lights it's almost impossible. It's so dark now we'd either lose The Whisper The Whisper or run into it!" or run into it!"

"I have an idea," George said. "Why don't we return to Crocodile Island and wait? Perhaps The Whisper The Whisper is only making a detour to throw off anyone who might follow it and will come back to the island later." is only making a detour to throw off anyone who might follow it and will come back to the island later."

"Good suggestion," Nancy agreed. The young people turned around. After a while, Danny put the lights back on.

"I'm glad we're getting away from that coffin," Bess said. "I don't ever want to see it again."

George looked at her. "You're probably right. There was a slain gangster in it, and The Whisper The Whisper is going to dump him overboard into deep water so n.o.body will know where he's buried!" is going to dump him overboard into deep water so n.o.body will know where he's buried!"

"You're disgusting," Bess exclaimed.