The Mystery of the Scar-faced Beggar - M. V. Carey [63]
he
h sp
s e
p edbo
b a
o t and
n so
s m
o eon
o e fi
f r
i ed
e a sh
s o
h t
o fr
f om
o the
h d
eck o
f
o
f the
h Maria
i .
“Co
C w
o ards!
s ” yell
l e
l d Mrs
r .
s
. Denic
i ol
o a
l .
The
h sp
s e
p edb
d o
b a
o t sp
s u
p rted
e ahe
h ad
a of
o
f the
h la
l rger
r craft
f an
a d st
s reaked
d acro
r s
o s
s
s the
h Mar
a ia
i ’s
bow.
The
h fi
f s
i h
s i
h n
i g bo
b a
o t veere
r d
e and
n lo
l s
o t
s sp
s e
p ed.
Now
o the
h se
s archl
h i
l g
i ht
h fr
f om
o the
h Maria
i -III st
s abb
b e
b d at
a the
h sp
s e
p edbo
b a
o t.
. The
h re was
s
anot
o he
h r sh
s o
h t
o fr
f om
o the
h Maria
i .
. It mis
i s
s e
s d and
d pl
p u
l nked ha
h rmle
l ss
s l
s y
l in
i to
o the
h wat
a er.
. And
d
the
h n the
h he
h li
l c
i op
o t
p er wa
w s
s the
h re aga
g in
i ,
, and
d it
i s
t
s po
p w
o erfu
f l
l bl
b u
l e-wh
w i
h t
i e
t
e be
b a
e m
a
m fo
f u
o n
u d
n
d th
t e
h
e
Maria-III.
“The
h y’ve got
o he
h r now
o !” sa
s id
i Jupe
p as
s the
h he
h li
l c
i op
o t
p er he
h ld
l the
h Maria
i in
i a cir
i cle
l of
o
light.
Jupe looked towards shore. The lights there were much closer now.
“Darn!” cried Eileen Denicola. “Where is that coast-guard cutter?”
The Maria had picked up speed again. She turned and swerved for a few moments, as if she could shake off the hovering helicopter. Then she set her prow towards the open sea again and raced for freedom.
Eileen Denicola laughed roughly and sent the speedboat careering after the fishing boat. Once more the speedboat raced in front of the Maria, and once more the man at the helm reacted, swerving to avoid a collision.
Jupe saw foaming surf on his left, and he heard breakers rumble and surge.
“Watch out!” yelled Pete.
Mrs. Denicola pulled hard at the wheel and the small boat stood on its side and almost skidded on the waves. Then they were out in the blackness again, free and safe.
But the Maria-III struck the rocky seabed with a scraping, grinding crash that tore half her bottom out.
The fishing boat was lifted partway out of the water, and she tilted over on one side. The men on her deck shouted and scrambled. The speedboat passengers saw a flick of orange-red flame.
“She’s burning,” said Eileen Denicola.
The shouting and the rage were gone. The speedboat drifted in neutral, bobbing on the waves, and Eileen Denicola cried. Tears ran down her cheeks and caught the light from the stricken fishing boat. “A fuel line must have ruptured,” she said.
A man dived from the deck of the Maria, then a second man, and then two more.
“Get the boat hook,” ordered Mrs. Denicola. “Keep it handy. If anyone tries to climb in here, give them a swat.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Pete.
A swimmer came splashing through the water. “There are life jackets under the seats,” said Mrs. Denicola.
Jupe tossed a life jacket to each shipwrecked man as he approached the speedboat.
Ernie tried to swim in close, and Pete brandished the boat hook. All four men got the message and kept their distance.
Bob found a length of rope which the men in the water could hold. They drifted, bobbing in the waves and watching the Maria.
The fishing boat blazed with a fierce fire that lit the night. Then there was an explosion. Part of the hull blew out, and the boat slid off the rocks and sank like a stone.
When the coast-guard ship arrived, the speedboat was still there. Four young men clutching at life jackets floated nearby.
There was nothing left of the Maria-III and its deadly cargo but some bits of wreckage bobbing on the waves.
Chapte
t r 21
Mr. Sebastian Gets Curious
A WEEK AFTE
T R TH
T E SINK
N ING of
o
f the
h Maria
i -II
I I,
, the
h Thr
h e
r e Inv
n est
s ig
i a
g tor
o s
s rod
o e nor
o th
again
i thr
h ou
o gh
h Mali
l b
i u
b ,
, and turn
r ed of
o f
f
f the
h hi
h g
i hw
h ay on
o to
o Cy
C pr
p ess
s
s Ca
C nyon
o Driv
i e.