d his stricken friend. Bud was floundering and thrashing abo

f the projectile stunn

as best he could, hooking onto his belt. At the same time, the young inventor inha

glowed with

st," Tom thought, "even thoug

the surface. Bud assisted to some ext

o let air bubbles escape constantly from his mouth. As the pressure decreased, due to the l

l, his feeble strokes were jerky and uncoordinated. "Must've

shine. The Sea Hound's shadowy outline loomed just above. With a last

lp!" To

seacopter's forward deck, had already grasped the situati

ring and writhing in pa

nson cried in alarm. "Signal

back up into the plane. Tom followed in a few minutes. Doc Simpson took charge of the patients immediately. A

the window of the chamber. The medic had given Bud a sed

not in too bad shape

ut Bud had to stay in bed. With Tom, it was only a

y from the galley. "Pore lil ole boys," he fussed. "Brand my snorkel, I never should've let

Texan on the back. "If you

' back down?

. "To find out, if possible, wh

ipping off his apron. "I just hope I g

n at once, because of Bud. Tom and Chow, meanwhile,

was plummeting downward through water that changed before their eyes from gre

s searching for our Jup

ve been," T

st have figured out the missile's

o stop us from finding it

settled on the submerged plateau. Tom relaxed at the controls but kept the rotors going so

ngs?" T

out taking his eyes from th

intently. The silence deepened in the Sea Hound's cab

ipper! At t

e scope-something streaking

's another miss

unned the reverse jets just in time!

akly. His leathery face had gone pale under

. "If they're in firing range, we sho

, they must have perfected a way to make th

Aloud, Tom said, "I hate to run from those sneaks, b

to the surface. Then he reversed blade pitch for air flight and gunned the a

rce commander and in turn was told that none of the naval cra

ill fuming. "Why don't we post a dummy

along to the Navy,"

anded, then went by jeep to base headquarters. He called Enterprises and learned that Bud's conditio

ring how the attacker had defied detection. "You'd better

m right away,

ssile as soon as possible-at any cost," he said. "Tom, you Swifts have had considerable exp

replied. "I'll assign men to

a Pigeon Special. This sleek little commercial plane was manufa

tor plunged into the job of organizing an engineering crew for the missile hunt. Ar

ortable model of Tom's atomic earth blaster was included in their equipment. A jetmari

and dangerous," commented Mr. Swift a

t could be almost as bad

htful gleam. "Speaking of silt, son, I've foun

ose plants you use in ma

sed amazing insulating properties against both heat and radiation. One of its secret ingredients ca

ng Island-about fifty f

rs, Dad," Tom pointed out. "Men can't work

d his coffee, then looked up with a twinkle in his e

air lung?" To