02 South Sea Adventure (21 page)

He read it with growing excitement. Then he broke out of the office and ran all the way to the house.

He found Roger, Omo, and Captain Ike each sitting in his own corner, moping. No one was saying anything. The place was as sad as a tomb.

‘Great news, boys!’ Hal shouted. ‘I got a radiogram from Dad.’

‘I’ll bet I know what’s in it,’ Roger said. ‘He tells us to toddle straight home.’

Hal did not answer. He began to read the message:

You have done a great job. Animal collection sounds fine. Ship it home on cargo steamer. Stuyvesant pronounces pearls superb and has warmest praise for your work. Come home if you have had enough.

‘What did I tell you?’ Roger interjected. ‘We nearly break ourselves apart doing their job for them and then, just when we can begin to enjoy things, we have to quit!’

‘Wait a minute,’ Hal said. ‘There’s more to it’ And he read on:

If you wish to stay there is an opening for you and your ship with expedition of Scripps Oceanographic Institution now sailing from San Diego. Could meet you at Honolulu. They would outfit Lively Lady with diving-bell, diving-suits, nets, submarine cameras, etc., for deep-sea diving operations to study habits of great fish and capture specimens. If interested let me know and will airmail you all particulars. Your mother sends love to you and most affectionate gratitude to your friend Omo.

Omo looked up and his eyes were filled with a warm happy light. He tried to speak but his voice choked.

‘Golly, boys!’ cried Captain Ike gleefully. ‘That means we hang together!’

Roger began to leap about the room to the great peril of the Japanese paper doors.

‘Whee! Whoopee! Meet the deep-sea divers! I’m going to be the first one down in the diving-bell!’

Hal smiled. It seems to be unanimously agreed that our answer is yes. ‘I’ll get a message off to Dad at once.’

But since what happened thereafter is another story, it is told in the pages of another book of this series, Underwater Adventure.