hail came. A big man with
red hair several shades darker than the boy's was waving from the side
door of the Creek House. He walked toward them rapidly.

"Okay, Pop," Carrottop called. "I told 'em to get out."

As the man approached, Rick saw that there was a strong resemblance
between the man and the boy. Evidently they were father and son. The
man had the same thin lips, the same seaweed-green eyes. His face was
almost square. It was a tough face, Rick thought.

The newcomer looked at his son and jerked his thumb toward the hotel.
"Okay, Jimmy, get into the house."

The boy turned and walked off without a word.

The man surveyed Rick and Scotty briefly. "Don't mind Jimmy. He was
probably rude, and I'm sorry for it. But this is private property and
I can't allow you to tie up here." He motioned to the high board fence
along the front of the hotel. The fence ran down to the edge of the
creek. "Anywhere this side of the fence is private."

Rick nodded. "It didn't use to be. That's why we tied up here. I'm
sorry, Mr...."

"Kelso. I rented the place a few weeks ago. Haven't had time to get
signs up yet."

"We'll shove off right away, Mr. Kelso. Sorry we intruded."

"Okay."

Rick started the engine, threw the launch into reverse, and backed
out.

Scotty sat down beside him. "How about that?"

"Funny," Rick said. "Didn't Cap'n Mike say a family named Kelso had
taken the hotel because their little boy was sick and needed fresh
air?"

"That's what he said," Scotty affirmed. "Do you suppose that was the
sick little boy?"

"If he's sick," Rick said grimly, "it's trigger fever. I think he'd
like to take a shot at someone."

"It would sure be an effective way of discouraging trespassers. Why do
you suppose they crave privacy so much?"

"Beats me," Rick said. "We'll have to ask Cap'n Mike."

The launch passed the edge of the Creek House fence and came to a
strip of sandy beach. The road ended a few feet from the beach. A
number of cars were parked in the area, and along Smugglers' Reef were
the occupants, most of them standing around the wreck.

"I'll run the launch in as far as I can," Risk directed, "then you
jump ashore with the anchor."

"Okay." Scotty went forward and took the small anchor from its
lashings, making sure he had plenty of line. As Rick pushed the bow of
the launch into shallow water until it grated on the sand, Scotty
jumped across the six feet of open water to the beach.

Rick took