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.The gun would go off, of course, butThe engine coughed again, and then again.Ken waited, not moving, feelingAnthony's intent eyes on his rigid back.The gun nudged him savagely."Get up forward!" Anthony ordered.The engine was missing badly now only a few of its cylinders were firingproperly.The Sea Robin, shuddering spasmodically, was rapidly losing itsheadway.FOG TO THE RESCUE 195Ken moved slowly between the bunks, bracing himself on the rails as the boatrolled and wallowed."All the way!" Anthony said."I don't know how you did it but it isn't goingto do you any good." He dropped down the last step and, still facing Ken,kneeled in front of the bulkhead opening."Don't make a move," he cautioned."Don't think I can't look at the engine and keep an eye on you too."In another second, Ken knew, Anthony would turn his light through the opening.Where was Sandy?"Look," Ken began desperately, fighting for time.But even as he spoke, the realization came to him that in another moment itwould be too late they would be beyond help.Already the Sea Robin was surgingforward on the great swells that raced the last half mile to shore, to crashthunderously on the rocks.A bit closer to shore and not even the engine couldbuck that irresistible pull.Page 78 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Shut up!" Anthony barked.His flash was already pivoting toward the opening.The aim of the gun was steady on Ken's stomach.Ken's knees bent slightly, his weight coming forward.It was a short leapacross the cabin"The wires are off!" There was blank amazement in Anthony's voice.Then it happened! A sheet of white shot out of the hold!It covered Anthony like a tent.In an instant he had disappeared from Ken'sstartled gaze, completely shrouded in the cloudlike fog that spread from theopening.Ken took off not in a headlong dive in a feet-first196 THE CLUE OF THE MARKED CLAWplunge, as if he were sliding for home plate in the last inning of a tie-scoregame.He felt his toes strike something yielding.His back jarred heavily againstthe floor.Something hard thumped near by.The white foam was spreading out widely into the cabin now, coveringeverything with a slippery slime.Ken got halfway up and slipped.He grabbedfor a bunk and pulled himself erect.There was vague movement under the thick layer of blanketing whiteness.Anthony was groping for the gun that had fallen from his hand when Ken hadstruck.Ken thrust both arms elbow-deep into the bubbles.One hand clutched hair, theother cloth.Ken hauled Anthony up, first to his knees and then, by hoistinghim against a bunk support, to his feet.Ken drew back his right arm thendrove it forward once, twice, three times.As Anthony's body slumped he hung onto it and lowered it to a bunk.Ken gulped in a single breath of air, then let it out in a yell."Sandy!"Footsteps sounded on the deck, and a familiar shape loomed at the head of theladder, dimly outlined against the night sky."Here I am.You O.K.?""Are you?" Ken slid and stumbled across the cabin to meet him.His fingersfound the light switch beside the door.For an instant they stared at eachother, while behind Ken the foam on the floor billowed gently.More white sudswere still pouring from the foam fire extinguisher now visible alongside theengine.Sandy was all right!FOG TO THE RESCUE 197But just as Ken realized it, he became aware of something else: above thecreaking of the boat's timbers, through the silence of her dead engine, therewas the sound of water crashing on rocks."Quick!" Ken yelled."The engine "Sandy leaped down into the cabin and ducked toward the hold.Ken waited only long enough to grab up Anthony's flashlight, still gleamingthrough its sticky coating, and then he was on deck.Frantically his fingersflipped every switch on the panel.The running lights blinked on, thesearchlight cut a path through the darkness, lighting up the curving whitemanes of breakers dead ahead."Try it!" Sandy bellowed.Ken jabbed the starter.The engine split, coughed, finally caught.The SeaRobin lifted and lurched ahead, aimed along the finger of light that showedwhite water and spray only a few hundred feet beyond the bow.Ken threw out the clutch, jammed the lever into reverse, and let out theclutch again.The boat shuddered as the screw spun backward.With what seemed infinite slowness the engine battled the momentum of thewaves, pistons straining against their pull.Gradually very gradually the SeaRobin lost forward motion, shivered almost to a standstill, the power of thewaves and the power of the engine deadlocked.Finally one wave moved past and then another and another.Inch by inch the SeaRobin fought for her life.Inch by inch she crept back from disaster.Theswells198 THE CLUE OF THE MARKED CLAWPage 79 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlwere dashing over the low stern, flooding the deck with water but no longerwere they carrying the Sea Robin on with them toward the black rocks ahead.Sandy struggled out on deck, past a wash of water tumbling into the cabin.Heleaped to the hatchway and slammed its cover down."Turn her!" he yelled.Ken had already begun to pull the wheel carefully to port
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