03 Underwater Adventure Read Online Free

with a confident jerk of his head.
    ‘Come below and I’ll show you where you can put your things. Then we’ll have breakfast.’
    They went down the companionway into the cabin. There was a smell of hot coffee. Omo, who doubled as seaman and cook, was putting breakfast on the table. Blake moved towards the rear of the cabin.
    ‘You’ll sleep here,’ he said, indicating a bunk in the stem. The bunks were close together there and the headroom was not so good.
    But Skink had stopped in the roomier part of the cabin beside the widest bunk.
    ‘Is this one occupied^’ he asked.
    ‘Yes,’ Blake said, ‘that happens to be mine.’
    Again he turned aft but Skink did not follow. I’d be mighty sorry to inconvenience you,’ Skink said, ‘but the fact is I wouldn’t be much use to you if I slept back there. The motion, you know. Rolling I don’t mind, but pitching knocks me out. I’d do better amidships. But of course I wouldn’t think of disturbing you. I’ll just sleep up on deck.’
    ‘Not on your life,’ said Blake generously. ‘Take my bunk and I’ll move back.’
    ‘Sure you don’t mind?’
    ‘Not a bit.’
    Skink threw his luggage into the master bunk.
    ‘Now for something to eat,’ said Blake. ‘Of course we usually have breakfast earlier than this, but we waited for you. Here’s Captain Ike now. Captain Flint, meet Mr Inkham.’ They shook hands. ‘And this is Roger.’
    Skink said, ‘Hi,’ in the tone of one who has no time to bother with kids.
    ‘Omo, Mr Inkham.’
    The handsome young Polynesian came forward with outstretched hand, a smile parting his lips to show flashing white teeth set in a face as brown as mahogany.
    Skink suddenly took an interest in something else and appeared not to notice the hand. Omo withdrew it and calmly went back to his duties. He showed no resentment.
    But Hal was boiling with rage. His fist hardened, his muscles tensed, and he could hardly restrain himself from landing a smashing blow in the middle of Skink’s smug face.
    So, Skink thought himself too good to shake hands with Omo! Omo, who was worth a dozen Skinks. Omo, who had more than once risked his life for Hal and Roger. Omo, who had shown such patience and courage during those terrible days on the desert island and on the raft. The brown giant’s education was probably equal to Skink’s and he had something more important that Skink lacked - character. Hal and Omo had sworn to be blood brothers, following the old Polynesian custom. And now that his ‘brother’ had been insulted, all he could do was sit and fume.
    Never mind. There would come a day when Skink would answer for this.
    The breakfast consisted of tropical fruits, turtles’ eggs, toast, and coffee. When it was finished Skink said,
    ‘Now, Blake, you might brief me on your set-up. We didn’t have much of a chance to talk in Honolulu.’
    ‘That’s right,’ Blake said. ‘You really don’t know much about us, nor I about you. But I saw you dive, and that was enough. Anybody who can dive like that …’
    ‘Thanks,’ smiled Skink.
    ‘You already know that I’m with the Oceanographic Institute to study sea life and collect specimens. But perhaps you would like to know about this schooner. She’s a fine little ship, sixty feet overall, and carries the triangular Marconi sail, the fastest sail in the world. She also takes a jib and two staysails. She has an auxiliary engine to get her through tight passages. She is equipped with tanks for specimens.’
    How did she happen to be fitted up with specimen tanks?’
    ‘Before I chartered her,’ explained Blake, ‘she had been used by Hal Hunt and his brother to take specimens for their father who is an animal collector. She belongs to Captain Flint here. When they finished their expedition, I chartered her from Flint on condition that he would come along to run her. And since these boys had sailed in her, I employed them too.’
    ‘So the Oceanographic has given you the power to hire