Mystery of Crocodile Island - Carolyn Keene [16]
“I’m glad they’re gone,” Nancy said. “I’d hate to see the croc injured.”
Mrs. Cosgrove explained that the creature’s hide was so thick that it was almost impossible to hurt its back. “But if something hits a crocodile in the eyes, it’s very painful.”
Bess asked, “Do these crocs have names?”
Mrs. Cosgrove smiled. “Yes. They’re Lord and Lady Charming.”
Nancy and Bess laughed, and Bess remarked, “They don’t look very charming to me.”
As if he had heard her, the larger of the two crocodiles emitted a low growl, followed by a hiss. He opened his jaws wide.
Bess retreated in a hurry, “W-what’s the matter with him?”
Suddenly several small fish, sucked up through a pipe running into the enclosure from the salt water, were sprayed into the pen. The crocodile forgot it was angry. With lightning speed he ran down into the water and grabbed several fish with his great jaws, then closed them with a resounding crack.
At this moment the canoe with the three boys returned. This time each of them was armed with large pieces of coral rock. They pitched them over the wall of the enclosure directly at the big reptiles. One of the rocks hit Lord Charming on one eye. It was obviously painful, for he began swishing madly in a circle, growling and hissing,
“Get away from here!” Nancy yelled at the boys. “Don’t do that again!” The youngsters, looking scared, quickly paddled out of sight.
The crocodile swished his great tail back and forth so rapidly in the water that it sprayed into the air, soaking the onlookers.
“Eric!” Mrs. Cosgrove called frantically. “Eric, come quickly!”
The gamekeeper, a tall man with a gray beard, ran toward the enclosure and looked at Lord Charming. “What’s the matter?” he asked.
“His eye,” Mrs. Cosgrove answered.
“Poor old fellow!” Eric said. “He’s in pain, all right. I hope he won’t lose the sight of that eye. Let me get something to put on it.”
He hurried off and returned with a tube of salve and a pole with a hook on the end of it. Fearlessly he jumped over the cement wall and talked soothingly to the crocodile. “Sorry, old boy,” he said. “Come now, Lord Charming, let me help you.”
Nancy and her friends watched in fascination as Eric flipped the reptile onto his back with the pole, and squirted some of the salve into his injured eye.
All this time Lady Charming had been watching from a distance. When her mate turned over onto his stomach, she hurried forward. Using the pole for support, Eric leaped high over the concrete fence.
The visitors clapped. “You’re marvelous,” Mrs. Cosgrove said.
Eric grinned. “It’s all in a day’s work. Tell me how Lord Charming got hurt.”
Nancy reported that three mean boys had come by in a canoe and hit the crocodile.
Eric scowled. “I can’t stand people, big or little, who take advantage of a defenseless animal!”
“Where’s the trainer today?” Mrs. Cosgrove asked.
“It’s his day off,” Eric replied. “You must come back when he’s here. I’m sure you girls would enjoy the various acts he puts on with the animals.”
“We will,” Mrs. Cosgrove promised, then the visitors turned to leave.
When they reached home, George and Danny were back. They explained their delay, saying they had been caught in the low tide.
“Did you pick up any new clues?” Nancy asked.
“I think so,” George replied. “We went all the way to Crocodile Island. There was no periscope in sight. But The Whisper was tied up at the dock. We got near enough to overhear voices. Apparently someone was talking on a radio telephone.”
“What did he say?” Nancy asked eagerly.
“Tonight at eight,” George replied.
“What do you think it meant?” Bess asked.
George said she and Danny had figured out that either someone was coming to the island or that The Whisper was taking off for a rendezvous with another boat.
Nancy was excited by the report. “I think you’re right,” she said. “Let’s go out there this evening and see what happens.”
Danny said that the tide would be perfect for the trip. He turned to Mrs. Cosgrove. “Okay