I am. But don't ask me why. Look, I'll bet Duke or Jerry
could identify it by going through the newspaper morgue." Their
newspaper friends were owner-editor and reporter for the Whiteside paper
back home.

"They're on vacation," Scotty reminded him. Once each year, the paper
was turned over to a friend of Duke's, a former newspaperman turned
professor of journalism, who used the occasion to give some of his
students practical experience.

That was true, Rick remembered. Neither Duke nor Jerry would be
available. Who else did they know who could help? Suddenly he snapped
his fingers. "I've got it! Ken Holt would help, if we could get the
picture to him."

Ken Holt, the young newsman whose adventures were favorite reading for
Rick and Scotty, had once asked Spindrift for help, and Rick had given
him a set of pocket-size radio transceivers of the kind known as "The
Megabuck Network."

"Sandy Allen is a photographer," Scotty pointed out. "He might know
these people."

Rick took a chair next to the telephone and dialed the operator. "A
person-to-person call," he stated, "to Mr. Ken Holt, at the _Brentwood
Advance_, Brentwood, New Jersey." He put his hand over the mouthpiece.
"Let's hope he and Sandy aren't off on an assignment somewhere."

Luck was on their side. Ken Holt was in, and he was delighted to be of
help. "Put the picture in the mail," the young reporter suggested. "If
you make it airmail, special delivery, we'll have it first thing in the
morning. With luck, we might even get it tonight. We'll phone you as
soon as we have an identification. Incidentally, the Megabuck units
worked like a charm, as I told you when I wrote. Thanks a lot."

"Glad they were helpful," Rick replied. "We'll hurry to town and get the
picture in the mail right away."

He hung up and nodded at Scotty. "We'll get the picture ready, and take
it to town when we go to pick Steve up. If we're a little early, the
letter probably will go out on the early evening plane to Washington."

Scotty nodded. "What time is it?"

Rick glanced at his watch. "Nearly three. We'll be ready to take off as
soon as Steve calls, or doesn't."

"If he calls, that means he won't be back," Scotty reminded.

"No matter. We'll go to town anyway, and have an early dinner."

Rick had envelopes and letter paper on the houseboat. He wrote a brief
note to Ken, addressed the envelope, and printed AIRMAIL SPECIAL
DELIVERY on both sides, then enclosed the best pict