The Scarlet Lake Mystery: A Rick Brant Science-Adventure Story Read online

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  THE SCARLET LAKE MYSTERY

  A RICK BRANT SCIENCE-ADVENTURE STORY

  BY JOHN BLAINE

  GROSSET & DUNLAP, INC., 1958NEW YORK, N. Y.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  _Printed in the United States of America_

  [Transcriber Note: Extensive research did not discover a U.S.copyright renewal.]

  _Grim-faced men came running to help still theholocaust_]

  Contents

  I SPINDRIFT

  II ASSIGNMENT: ROCKET BASE

  III LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

  IV SCARLET LAKE

  V PROJECT PEGASUS

  VI SIGN OF THE EARTHMAN

  VII CARELESS MESA

  VIII PROJECT ORION

  IX GHOST TOWN CLUE

  X STRANDED IN STEAMBOAT

  XI DEADROCK OGG, MAYOR

  XII SERVOMOTORS MISSING

  XIII FLY THE WINGED HORSE!

  XIV CHECK PILOT

  XV THE OPEN HATCHWAY

  XVI THE BOARD SHOWS GREEN

  XVII WEIGHT, ONE TON

  XVIII OUT OF CONTROL!

  XIX THE UNYIELDING GROUND

  XX THE EARTHMAN

  List of Illustrations

  _Grim-faced men came running to help still the holocaust_

  _Etched on the bar was a puzzling inscription_

  _A bullet whined off the top of the rock pile, and then there wassilence_

  _"What are you doing here?" the man demanded_

  _Rick hung in the air, as though suspended by some weird magic_

  CHAPTER I

  Spindrift

  Rick Brant released the sling pouch with his left hand and let it dropsmoothly to the end of its double string. The sling swung through acomplicated arc, out to its full length, down again behind his back,then, with rapidly increasing speed, over his right shoulder. With afinal whip he swung the pouch forward and released the free end of thestring at precisely the right moment.

  The rock left the pouch at astonishing speed, whistling as it traveledout to sea. Over fifty yards from shore it slapped into the water only afew feet from a bottle that bobbed there as a target.

  Don Scott, nicknamed Scotty, nodded his approval. "Okay, David. Anotherhour of practice and you can go hunting Goliath."

  Rick grinned. "I'm getting the hang of it," he admitted. "Let's see youheave another one out there."

  The boys had collected a pile of assorted water-polished stones from thebeach near Pirate's Field, and brought them to the front of the bigBrant house facing the Atlantic Ocean.

  Scotty selected one of the larger ones, then checked his sling. Thesling was simplicity itself. Two pieces of strong cord were connected toeach side of the pouch, made of heavy canvas about four inches long andthree wide. One string ended in a loop, which Scotty slipped over hisright forefinger. The other string ended in a large knot, which Scottyheld between his forefinger and thumb.

  Scotty placed the stone in the pouch and gripped it in his left hand,holding the stone in place with thumb and forefinger. He took throwingposition, left hand holding the pouch slightly lower than shoulderheight while his right held the strings in the center of his body justabove his belt buckle.

  He released the pouch and put his solid weight into the throw.

  Rick's lips pursed in a silent whistle. The stone sang shrilly as itflew up, up, up and far out. Then the trajectory dropped off rapidly andit fell into the sea.

  "Bless Bess!" Rick exclaimed. "Three hundred yards if it was an inch!"

  Even Scotty looked a little surprised. "I'm going to quit while I'mahead," he announced.

  Barbara Brant, a slim, pretty, blond girl a year Rick's junior, hailedthem from the porch, then ran down and joined them. "Hi! What are youtwo doing?"

  "Scotty just won the rock-throwing championship of the East Coast," Ricktold her.

  Barby looked surprised. "He did? I thought you were waiting for Dr.Gordon?"

  "We are, but we decided to try out Scotty's new sling while we werewaiting."

  The boys, and in fact the entire scientific staff of Spindrift Island,had been in a state of excitement for the past few days because of atelegram received from Dr. John Gordon. Dr. Gordon had been on leave forsome time, working on a special project at a rocket experimental stationin the West. A few days before, Dr. Hartson Brant, Rick's father andhead of the Spindrift Scientific Foundation, a world-famous researchorganization, had received word from Gordon that Rick and Scotty wereneeded for a special assignment. Gordon had not given any details in hiswire.

  This morning Dr. Gordon had phoned that he had been delayed, but wouldarrive by Navy plane around noontime. Long before noon, Rick and Scottyhad moved Rick's four-passenger Sky Wagon off the grassy runway that ranalong the seaward side of the island, then settled down to therock-throwing session.

  Barby said, "I'm pretty good with a slingshot. Let me try."

  Scotty handed her the sling. She looked at it dubiously. "What's this?It isn't a slingshot."

  "It's a sling," Rick explained. "Not a slingshot. You know--like Davidand Goliath."

  Barby looked her disbelief. "You mean David killed Goliath with twopieces of string and a piece of canvas?"

  "He probably used leather thongs and a leather pouch," Scotty said, "butthe idea is the same."

  "Show her," Rick suggested.

  Scotty picked up another of the larger stones and let fly. It droppedshort of the earlier throw, but the effect was enough to make Barby'sblue eyes open wide.

  "Where did you get it?" she asked excitedly.

  "Made it. Steve Ames showed me how, and how to throw."

  The Spindrift Scientific Foundation, located on Spindrift Island off theNew Jersey coast, had been called upon several times to assist theUnited States Government. In many of the cases, the scientific staffworked under the direction of a topnotch intelligence agent by the nameof Steven Ames. Rick and Scotty had taken an active part, in spite ofthe fact that they were only in their teens.

  Working for JANIG, the intelligence group that Steve Ames represented,had taught both boys a great deal about intelligence procedures. Thistraining was a major reason why John Gordon had called on them forassistance.

  "Isn't it a funny weapon for Steve Ames to use?" Barby asked. "I mean,after all, spies are supposed to use guns or knives, aren't they?"

  Rick grinned. "Sure. They carry knives between their teeth, and theyhave at least two guns each. Walking arsenals, that is what they are. Ittakes a strong man to be a spy, on account of all the heavy metal he hasto lug around."

  Barby ignored him. "Scotty, how come Steve knows about slings?"

  "It's a hobby. He and a few others are trying to keep the art of usingslings alive," Scotty explained. "It's been nearly forgotten."

  "I see." Barby glared at Rick. "If you can't give me a civil answer whenI ask a question, I won't ask you any more!"

  Rick pointed out, "You'll have to stop for now, anyway, because Scottyand I have to leave on this special job of John Gordon's. Besides, theonly reason you're mad is because you can't go."

  Barby always felt cheated when Rick and Scotty left the island on someexciting expedition or job. She had vowed to be a boy in her nextreincarnation.

  Scotty stepped in as peacemaker. "Barby won't mind," he said. "Afterall, Jan Miller will be here in a few days."
r />   After completion of _The Electronic Mind Reader_ case Hartson Brant hadpersuaded Dr. Walter Miller, an expert who had worked with the Spindriftstaff, to join the Foundation permanently. That meant Barby would haveMiller's daughter, Jan, as a companion, and Barby was delighted beyondwords. The boys were pleased, too. Not only was Jan nice to have around,but her presence--they hoped--would mean less trouble from Barby whenthey were going off somewhere.

  The Millers would move into one of the new cottages behind the orchard,next to Parnell Winston, the staff cyberneticist. Howard Shannon, expertin the natural sciences, and his family would be their other neighbors.

  At the moment, however, Shannon and Tony Briotti, the staffarchaeologist, were away on an expedition in the Sulu Sea. Rick andScotty had been keenly disappointed at being left behind. But Dr.Gordon's offer of a new job had cheered them up considerably.

  "Shouldn't Dr. Gordon be arriving?" Barby asked.

  Scotty looked at his watch. "He should. But he didn't give any definitetime."

  Barby poked at a sling stone with one slipper. "Where are you supposedto go?"

  "Somewhere in Nevada, Dad says," Rick replied.

  "I thought Dr. Gordon was at White Sands Proving Ground in New Mexico."

  "So did I," Scotty remarked. "The telegram was the first I knew abouthis working in Nevada."

  Barby held up her hand. "Listen!"

  A plane was in sight! Rick identified it as a prop-driven Navy utilityjob. No doubt of it, Gordon was arriving!

  They watched eagerly as the plane lost altitude, flaps and wheelslowered for the landing. The pilot brought it in over the big radarantenna on the laboratory roof, then dropped onto the runway for athree-point landing opposite the orchard.

  The three ran around the wing, bracing themselves against the propblast. Rick took the suitcase that was handed to him by Dr. Gordon, wholeaped lightly to the ground after his luggage.

  The scientist, a short, wiry man with gray hair cropped crew-cutfashion, waved to the pilot, then motioned the young people back as thepilot turned with a blast of his prop and taxied to take-off position infront of the lab.

  Because of the racket, no one tried to talk until the plane was nearlyout of earshot. Then Barby spoke for all of them as they walked to thehouse. "We thought you'd never get here!"

  Dr. Gordon smiled his pleasure at being home again. He shook hands withthe boys. "You've no idea how nice and green this island looks after theNevada desert. And you've no idea how hungry I am! Is it too late forlunch?"

  Mrs. Brant answered him from the porch. "You have just two minutes towash up and come to the table, John!"

  Hartson Brant appeared behind her. He shook hands with Dr. Gordon as thethree young people escorted him to the porch. "Welcome home, John."

  "Thanks, Hartson. It's good to be back. Where are the others? Zircon,Weiss, and Winston? I know Tony and Howard are off on an expedition, butI thought the others were home."

  "They are. Parnell Winston is probably having lunch at his cottage.Hobart and Julius are in New York, examining some new equipment for thelab. They'll be back tonight."

  Rick was dying to ask questions, but he knew this was not the righttime. At lunch, perhaps, they might be given some details.

  John Gordon looked at him and grinned. "Here's Rick Brant," he declared,"politely holding his tongue when he's about to pop like a firecrackerwith questions. Your self-control does you credit, Rick. Want one bit ofdata to chew on while you're waiting?"

  Rick gulped, then returned the grin. "Yes, sir!"

  John Gordon lowered his voice to a confidential pitch. "We have anenemy," he stated. "What kind of enemy may be seen clearly in the nameby which he goes." He paused.

  "What name?" Rick asked impatiently.

  "_Homo Terrestrialis._"

  John Gordon turned and hurried upstairs to his room to wash up forlunch.

  Rick stared after him. What in the name of a simple-minded spacefish didthat mean?

  _Homo Terrestrialis._

  Man of Earth.

  Earthman!