s trawler
shows up, we'll know about it and we'll move in on them. I'll ask for
a search warrant soon as I can get someone on the phone at the main
office. How does that strike you?"

"It sounds all right," Rick said. "But where do we come in?"

"You don't," Captain Douglas retorted. "You go home and go to bed. The
only thing you could do would be to hang around here all day waiting,
because we couldn't let you go to Seaford and perhaps tip off the gang
by accident. They must know it was your plane, and they're crazy if
they don't assume you'll call the police. If no police show up and you
don't either, it may lull their suspicions somewhat. Tell you what.
I'll phone Duke, or have the desk man do it, the minute we hear
anything and he can phone you."

And with that, the two boys had to be content. Rick ran the rest of
the film through his camera, unloaded it, and handed the can of film
to Duke Barrows. The editor drove them to the boat landing. "With any
luck," he said as they got from the car, "we may let folks read all
about it within a couple of days. See you later, fellows."

Although it was scarcely daylight, Mr. and Mrs. Brant were already up
and having an early breakfast. Rick knew it was just that they had
worried about Scotty and him, and he felt a little thrill of pride in
them. Even though they had worried, they had confidence in him and so
they had let him go. He was glad that he and Scotty always had played
square with them, sharing their adventures and discussing their
problems.

Over breakfast, the boys related the story of their night flight while
the Brants listened with interest. "It wasn't bad at all," Rick
finished. "I did have one tough moment when we landed the first time,
because I was a little too tense. But the second time was smooth as
anything."

"I'm glad you went right to Ed Douglas," Hartson Brant said
approvingly. "These kinds of jobs belong to the law, Rick. An amateur
can go only so far, and then if he's wise, he calls the police."

They had barely finished breakfast when the phone rang. It was Cap'n
Mike. He said that he had been standing on first one leg then the
other ever since he first phoned, and would they please tell him what
had happened.

Scotty obliged with a dramatic report and Cap'n Mike exclaimed his
delight so loudly that Rick could hear him half the room away. Scotty
hung up and grinned. "He's going to sort of wander over to that part
of town himself, just to k