145-Terror at High Tide by Franklin W. Dixon

Author:Franklin W. Dixon [Dixon, Franklin W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-08-07T15:15:08+00:00

CHAPTER 9

Bogged Down in Danger

Joe's arms felt like jelly. Everywhere he looked, he saw swells of water that were tossing him around like a cork. He opened his mouth for air, only to gulp down a load of sea water.

Joe tried to remember something he'd heard about riptides-swimming against the current is a losing battle, but swimming across the current might work.

Using the sidestroke, Joe swam across the current. After a few feet the ocean suddenly felt still. The riptide's gone, Joe thought. But I'm still not home free.

Catching sight of the shoreline on the horizon, Joe knew he must be three-quarters of a mile from shore.

A dark speck on the water was weaving toward him from shore. Joe waved wildly, hoping it was Frank. After a moment the speck grew larger, and Joe was able to make out his brother at the rudder of a small sailboat. Yes! Joe thought, letting out a whoop of delight-he'd had a feeling Frank would come to the rescue.

Frank brought the sailboat close to Joe and helped his brother in. Then Frank let out the sail, and the brothers sped back to shore.

"What happened?" Frank asked as he tacked the boat. "I saw you one moment, and you were gone the next."

Joe told Frank about the torn sailboard and the riptide. "I wonder if Ferrier could have sabotaged the sailboard, then planted himself in that boat to lure you out to sea," Frank said.

"I don't remember noticing anything wrong with the sails before I started out," Joe said . "But who knows-it may have been tampered with. Or maybe it was frayed and just tore on its own. I wonder where it went?"

Shielding his eyes with his hand, Joe scanned the water. The ocean glistened with sunlight, and all Joe could see was an expanse of blue-green water. The sailboard was nowhere in sight.

"I guess we'll never know what happened to it," Joe said. "By the way, did you see where Ferrier went?"

"I saw him row back to the beach in front of the house next door, while you were busy getting the sailboard through the waves. I'm not sure what he did next, because at that point I was concentrating on you."

"Good thing," Joe said, grinning. "Now, where did you get this boat?"

"Luck," Frank answered. "A couple of kids had just come ashore to swim and have a picnic lunch. Since the surf's pretty calm today, they'd pulled their boat all the way up to shore. I told them you were in trouble and asked if I could borrow the boat for a few minutes."

As the Hardys approached the beach, Joe noticed a teenage boy and girl sitting on a towel. Frank waved, then carefully guided the boat into the shallow water and pulled up the keel. As the boat touched the sandy bottom, the Hardys hopped out and pulled it ashore.

"Thanks for letting my brother use your boat," Joe said. "I'd be halfway across the Atlantic by now without it."

"No problem," the boy said.

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