Which was all as it should be; and yet....
“If the truth has to be told, Red,” the young commander said softly, “I’ll never be satisfied until I nab the biggest prize of all—the Scorpion himself. Anything less than wiping out that menace to world peace, falls short of victory. You know how deeply I feel about that!”
“I do; and you’re not alone in that feeling!” responded Pennington earnestly. “But remember, Skipper, the capture of the Scorpion is nearer today than it was six months ago. Through your efforts his secret organization is now on the defensive—almost on the run. I may not be a prophet or anything like that, but I’ll bet my life that within six months’ time you’ll have the Scorpion across the table from you—a prisoner!”
For a long moment Don Winslow gazed straight into his friend’s eager face. Red’s praise, his confidence, his enthusiasm, were all exaggerated, perhaps. All the same they meant a lot just at this time. The young commander’s chest expanded with a sigh of unspoken gratitude to this loyal friend and shipmate.
“You’re sure a grand tonic, Red, old man!” he smiled. “I hope your prediction comes true, to the letter. But we’ve got to do something more than just hope and wish, you know!”
“I do know, Don!” replied the chubby officer soberly. “And I’ve been doing a lot of thinking in the last few hours. There’s an idea that came to me last night. Maybe you’ll say it’s all crazy, but....”
“Crazy ideas are sometimes the best, after all, Red,” Don encouraged, as Pennington hesitated. “Let’s have it, anyhow. We can’t afford to overlook any bets in this man’s game, so shoot!”
Red Pennington wriggled uneasily in his chair.
“Well—all right. You asked for it, so don’t laugh!” he blurted finally. “It’s just this: you know enough right now to pass yourself off as one of the Scorpion’s agents. You actually did it, for a short while, the time we barged in on Shilling and the Shark,—remember? Why couldn’t you do it again, and make it stick?”
Don Winslow took a turn up and down the cabin’s narrow space, frowning as he chewed mentally on Red’s suggestion. Bringing up before his friend’s chair, he shook his head smilingly.