we'll be on
the outside looking in. And why? Because Dr. Howard Shannon prefers not
to be bothered by a couple of kids who wouldn't know one bug from
another."

"You're crossing bridges before you come to 'em," Scotty pointed out.
"For all you know, all three of these new scientists might be perfectly
swell gents, like Zircon, Weiss, and Gordon. Why borrow trouble in
advance?"

"I suppose you're right," Rick had to agree. "But I still can't help
thinking about it."

"Think all you like," Scotty said generously. "Me, I'm going to put my
little gray brain cells to work on Chahda's cable. Aren't you all fired
up with curiosity?"

Rick started to say he was, but no reply was necessary because just then
he heard the sound of the motorboat engine for which his ears had been
attuned. He put down the sunglasses and ran for the door. Scotty had
heard the engine, too, and was halfway down the hall.

It had to be Barby, Rick was sure. The other motorboat--the island had
two--was tied up at the pier, and they weren't expecting any visitors.
The builders had their own boat, a powered barge, anchored off Pirate's
Field.

The boys ran out on the front porch and around the house, then down the
long flight of stairs that led to the cove where the motorboat landing
was located.

It was Barby, sure enough, and she had the cable! She waved it wildly,
then gunned the boat around neatly so that it slid into the dock. Scotty
grabbed the bow line and made fast while Rick jumped for the stern line
and slipped it around a cleat on the landing.

Barby cut the engine and jumped to the dock, a slim, pretty girl, her
face flushed with excitement. "It's from Chahda," she said breathlessly,
"and it's in code!"

"We know," Scotty said. "Here, let's take a look at it."

Barby handed it to him. He scanned it wordlessly, then handed it to
Rick. "Son, we'll be doing right well if we make any sense out of that!"

"He wouldn't send us anything in a code we couldn't read," Rick
objected. "Let's see it. It can't be too hard."

But in the next moment he changed his mind. His lips pursed in a low
whistle. This was the cable:

RICK BRANT
SPINDRIFT ISLAND
NEW JERSEY, U.S.A.

5213039 6231581 1219456 2768612 2144644 9123299
3970731 6017747 1044914 3327116 6074193 4399693
0531612 1330552 3047171 3193986 8128912 7011716
0762878 3377335 3831075 5371011 3552684 3012963
3532456 8337373 9104476