re."

The boys did so. They had no alternative. Rick's mind raced. Somehow
they had to warn the scientists, and they had to get out from under the
muzzles of the guns! What could these men want of them?

The stranger sat down on the other bed. His pistol muzzle was centered
precisely on Rick's belt buckle. "We want information. Give it to us
without any trouble and we'll go away. Give us a hard time and you'll
regret it."

Rick studied the stranger. He was of medium height, dressed in tan
slacks and sport shirt with a darker jacket. His face was ordinary. He
might have been a store clerk, or streetcar conductor, or nearly
anything. But Rick saw from the way his jacket fitted that he was
powerfully built for his size, and his hands were lean and
strong-looking. He had a heavy tan, as though he had spent many months
in the sun.

"What do you want to know?" Scotty asked.

"Let's start with what you were saying when you walked in. Who is
Barby?"

"My sister," Rick said. "She's at home, in New Jersey."

The stranger sighed. "I was afraid of this. Give us straight answers or
you'll buy plenty of grief. Now, who is Barby? Who does he represent?"

"He told you," Scotty answered. "She's his sister."

The stranger tried a different tack. "How did you know where to swim
today? Did Ames tell you?"

"No," Rick replied. "We just swam straight out from the pier looking for
coral heads."

"Come on! You must have had some source of information. Who gave it to
you?"

"We didn't have any source of information," Scotty protested. "We just
went for a swim!"

The stranger lifted the pistol menacingly. "You'd better sing, and it
better be straight. I'm warning you!"

"Warn all you like," Rick said angrily. "What do you want us to say?"

The shadow walked over and pulled back his fist.

"Lay off!" the stranger growled. "You've pulled enough stupid stunts for
one day. You'll be lucky if the boss doesn't rip the hide off you."

The former tail subsided and glared at the boys.

The stranger rose. "All right. If you won't talk here, we'll take you
where you will talk. Get up."

The boys looked at each other. Scotty raised his eyebrows. Rick grinned.
He asked calmly, "Suppose we don't go?"

"You'll go!" the stranger snapped.

"I don't think we will," Scotty answered. "Look, mister. You're in a
hotel. It's early, and there are people in the lobby. How far do you
think you'd get if you tried to march us downstairs with a g