“Probably,” Jupiter agreed, “but we don’t have the time to investigate that now. We will have to postpone our search until another time.”
“Suits me,” Pete said with enthusiasm. “Just as long as we can call it quits for today. I’ve had it with scares.”
“We’ve all agreed on that,” Jupiter said. “The trouble is, we seem to have one more ahead of us.”
“What do you mean?” Pete demanded.
Jupiter pointed towards the sea. His companions looked in that direction. They blinked. It wasn’t possible!
Something dark and glittering was rising out of the water.
“I can’t make out what it is,” Bob whispered.
“It’s got a small dark head — like a dragon has, I think,” Pete said, shakily.
A large wave came rolling in. It loomed high over the dark shape, then swept over it, covering it completely.
The boys held their ground nervously, peering intently at the swirling water.
The rolling wave crashed and broke on the beach. Another came in after it. Then, as the swirling water eddied back, they saw the dark shape again.
It stood up. It was sleek, black and shining, down to its webbed feet. Slowly it walked ashore.
“Skin diver,” Pete said, relieved. “Wearing a face mask and flippers. What a thing to get scared over. Come on. Let’s go.”
As they turned away, Jupiter spoke softly into their ears. “Red alert! He’s carrying a spear-gun!”
Pete laughed. “So what? He’s probably hunting fish or something.”
Jupiter shook his head. “He’s heading this way.”
Suddenly the masked man in the black wetsuit dropped to his knees. He extended his spear-gun, and then fell prone, aiming it.
“Uh-oh! Look out!” Bob cried. “He’s aiming at us!”
“Huh?” Pete said. “Why would he do that?”
He squinted and his face paled. “Excuse me! Bob’s right!” He whirled around.“It’s got to be us — there’s nobody else around!”
Jupiter Jones saw the man lying facing them less than a hundred yards away. The speargun was cradled in his arms and definitely appeared to be pointed at them.
Jupiter had a logical mind. One that worked with almost lightning speed sometimes. He appraised the situation and frowned. It defied all logic.
When logic failed, Jupiter could still depend on a keen sense of preservation. “Red alert,” he said. “Scatter and run!”
They whirled instantly and ran for the staircase. As they got closer to it, they saw immediately it was useless. In the excitement, they had forgotten the accident a short while before. They saw the litter of broken steps and, railings again. Behind loomed the cliff wall, rising steeply at an angle impossible to climb.
Jupe looked towards the next staircase. It was too far away, requiring a long run over heavy sand that would slow them down. They’d be an easy target on the open beach.
Quickly he made his calculation. “We’ve got only one chance. Quick! Back into the cave!”
The boys veered off, changed direction and sprinted for the cave opening. They ran desperately, expecting at any moment to hear the sharp retort of the spear-gun.
Or perhaps to feel the long and deadly steel shaft it propelled.
The sand flew under their feet.
“Almost there!” Jupiter gasped. “Dive!”
The three leaped headlong for the mouth of the cave, almost as one. Then they scurried on hands and knees behind the big boulders for protection.
“Made it!” Pete grunted. “Now what?”
“We hide,” Jupiter said, struggling to catch his breath. “It will give us time — to work out a plan.”
“Maybe now’s the time to look for those other passages,” Bob said.
Jupiter nodded, his cheeks pink with excitement. “Agreed, Bob. But we’ll let him make the first move. If he comes this way, then I’ll admit our situation demands emergency procedure — such as going deeper into this cave.”
Pete was peering over Jupiter’s shoulder. His voice was tight. “We’ll have to, Jupe — here he comes!”
“Whiskers!” Bob exclaimed. “What’ll we do? I don’t feel like dropping into that pit again.”
Jupiter had backed into the cavern wall.
“Look!” he suddenly called to them.
In the wall, they saw some vertical planking, running up to the ceiling of the cave.
“Jeepers,” Pete said. “How did we miss that before?” “The sand and dust provided a natural covering,”
Jupiter said. He tapped the panel with his hand. It brought a hollow sound.
“It must be a secret passage,” he said. He pushed at the boards. “They appear loose enough to be moved. Take another quick look, Pete. See if that skin diver is still coming for the cave.”
Pete peered out and quickly ducked back.
“We’ve got double trouble,” he said, his voice shaking. “Now there are two of them!”
Jupiter frowned. “Two? In that case, we’d better work fast. Help me with these planks.”
They tugged and pushed at the planks.
“It’s no use,” Bob said. “They’re wedged in too tightly.”
Jupiter shook his head. “There has to be a way.” His eyes gleamed suddenly. “Of course! Stupid of me.”
He kicked at the loose sand under the plank. “All we have to do is dig down a little. Get some of that sand out. That will loosen them up.”
Quickly, they dropped to their knees and scooped away at the sand. The wide plank above it suddenly moved.
“That’s it,” Jupiter said. “Now, if we can turn it enough for us to slip through — ”
Once they had disturbed its base, the plank was easy to manage. Bob and Pete went through. Then it was Jupiter’s turn.
He struggled to get through the narrow opening. “Can’t — do it,” he gasped. “Still — too fat!”
Bob and Pete hastily scooped out more sand below, from the other side. The plank swung open, and Jupiter heaved himself through.
“Let’s leave a little crack to see through,” he whispered.
They swung the heavy board back into place, making sure it didn’t fit tightly against its neighbour.
They were still on their knees in the dark pocket of the cavern, when they heard voices.
The first skin diver flicked on a torch.
“I could have sworn those kids ran in here, Harry. Too bad you let that wave knock you down and I had to take my eyes off them.”
“We’ll find them soon enough, if they’re in here,” the other answered. “If they’re not, we can get to work.”
The Three Investigators held their breath as the first man played his torch round the cave. Jupiter, on hands and knees, pressed his face to the opening between the long boards.
Bob and Pete stooped over him, each with an eye at the crack.
The men in the black wetsuits walked ahead. The light faded, as did the sound of their shuffling flippered feet.
The rasping voice of the second man echoed from the pit area. “You must have been imagining it, Jack. Nobody here.”
“Guess they got away up the other steps, then.”
There was a faint plopping sound and then silence. Jupiter could hear and see nothing more, and drew his face back from the board. Dust and sand were making his nose itch. He wondered if his partners had the same symptoms. A sneeze would be a disaster for them now.
“No sneezing,” he whispered. “Cover your noses.”
They obeyed his warning, and waited nervously. The cave remained dark and silent. Finally Jupiter stood up.
“They’ve gone,” he whispered. “Let’s get out while we can.”
They scooped away the loose sand again, and carefully eased back the plank.
“You first this time, Jupe,” Pete whispered. “If you get through, Bob and I can make it easily.”
Jupiter took the suggestion with a smile.
They slipped back into the mouth of the cave and listened. The cave remained silent. They put the board quietly back into place, and brushed in sand until it stood firm again.