The Secret of Skeleton Island by Bruce Campbell

Author:Bruce Campbell [Campbell, Bruce]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery, Young Adult
Google: GAkMQAAACAAJ
Amazon: B001O4P506
Goodreads: 6928761
Publisher: Grossett & Dunlap
Published: 1948-12-31T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XI

A RENDEZVOUS AT SEA

It was so silent and so dark on the deck that for an instant Ken had the feeling they had made a mistake and stepped inside a coalbin instead. But gradually his eyes became accustomed to the lack of light, and he was able to make out dimly the larger shapes around him. Before he could see things at all clearly, however, Sandy was hurrying him across a clear space and shoving him down between a railing and a huge coil of rope. They lay there quietly for some time, while the ship’s many small noises came slowly into focus around them.

From somewhere forward—the well deck, probably—came the sound of voices and footfalls on metal. Ken lifted his head above the rope and saw a man’s silhouette just as it heaved itself onto the stern deck from the ladder leading up to it. Holding his breath, Ken watched him vanish into the deckhouse, and heard the door bang shut. The sound it made seemed startlingly loud.

“Keep it quiet!” someone called softly.

The sailor reappeared, closing the door more gently this time, recrossed the aft deck, and disappeared down the ladder.

Sandy nudged him, and Ken flattened himself out on the deck again so that their heads were close together and they could talk.

“What gives?” Sandy whispered.

Ken shrugged. “Something going on up forward, but I don’t know what.”

“Better find out.”

“Too risky. There’s a lot of them down there right now.”

“We’ll be careful. Come on.” Sandy wriggled out from behind their cover and slithered across the deck, with Ken behind him. When they reached the deckhouse they stood up and, keeping close to its shadowy wall, moved crabwise around it until they were facing forward. About ten feet in front of them was the rail overlooking the well deck. Scattered words out of the conversations going on below there drifted up to them, and it seemed as if the entire crew of the Louise must be moving around down there and discussing some pressing business.

“Prenez garde!”

“… here now. No …”

“… easy!”

But from where they stood they could see almost nothing. Finally Sandy dropped to his knees and then stretched out full length again on his stomach. With Ken in his wake, he moved the few feet forward necessary to bring his head almost to the rail. Together they peered down into the center portion of the ship. But the darkness there seemed absolute, shadowed as it was by the raised structures amidships and aft. Suddenly a cigarette glowed almost directly beneath them, and then made a brilliant red arc in the air as it was flipped far over the side.

The ship had stopped, the crew was at work. This much they could tell, but no more. It was baffling to be almost at the center of so much mysterious activity, and still not be able to guess what it was all about.

A sharp metallic sound floated back to them from somewhere forward, and the boys both looked up in time to see a line of light appear and disappear again as a door was opened and shut.

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