rophone from the instrument panel rack. He turned on
the radio and waited a moment while it warmed.

"Joe, this is Rick," he said. "Rowboat under a clump of birches just
south of North Cove. Have the boys go there and look it over. See if
the girls are in the woods. We'll watch for sign of the girls on the
water."

To Scotty, he directed, "Over the cove. Circle the whole area. We'll
watch for their bubbles. Joe's men will check the woods."

The plane turned obediently. Presently they were moving in a wide
circle with the houseboat as a center. A slight surface wind had
arisen and the water in the cove was a bit choppy, but not enough to
obscure bubble tracks made by Scuba divers below.

"See anything?" Rick asked.

"Not a trace. Can you see the water around the houseboat well enough?"

"Yes. No bubbles in the vicinity." Rick dried his palms again, then
mopped his forehead. He was becoming thoroughly frightened. Where were
they?

He checked his Megabuck radio to be sure it was on and called, "Barby.
Where are you?"

The air was silent, except for the slight background hiss that was
always present.

"Look right under the houseboat's gunwales," Scotty urged. "If they're
directly under it, the bubbles would rise along the sides."

"Why would they go under the houseboat?" Rick asked.

Scotty shook his head. "Why did they come over here in the first
place?"

Rick had no answer. "Let's go over to the shore. Joe's men ought to be
at the rowboat by now. Maybe they found the girls."

Scotty banked around and headed over the clump of birches. In a small
clearing behind the clump they saw two men in Scout uniforms. The men
looked up, and one spread his hands wide in a gesture that said
nothing of importance had been turned up.

"There's only one thing to do," Rick said decisively. "We've got to
check on the..."

He stopped as though a hand had clutched his throat. Barby's voice, in
his earphones!

Rick pulled the unit from his pocket and turned up the volume. He
couldn't hear her well.

"It's Barby," he said swiftly. "Circle!"

Rick strained to hear. She was talking to someone. "... It won't do
the slightest bit of good to keep us here, because my brother will
know where we are."

The signal faded as she talked. Rick turned the little radio unit,
trying to keep the volume constant.

"You'd better let us go," Barby was saying. "You'll get into a lot of
trouble if you don't."

Rick groaned. Her threats w