Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net Transcriber's Note: Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. [Illustration: MAP OF SMUGGLERS' REEF AND VICINITY] A RICK BRANT SCIENCE-ADVENTURE STORY SMUGGLERS' REEF BY JOHN BLAINE GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK, N. Y. COPYRIGHT, 1950, BY GROSSET & DUNLAP, INC. * * * * * Contents CHAPTER PAGE I NIGHT ASSIGNMENT 1 II CAP'N MIKE 11 III THE REDHEADED KELSOS 22 IV A WARNING 33 V THE MYSTERIOUS PHONE CALL 43 VI THE _Albatross_ 53 VII SEARCH FOR A CLUE 63 VIII THE OLD TOWER 70 IX NIGHT WATCH 82 X CAPTURED 93 XI THE HEARING 100 XII THE MISSING FISHERMAN 107 XIII THE TRACKER 118 XIV CAPTAIN KILLIAN 125 XV PLIMSOLL MARKS 137 XVI NIGHT FLIGHT 151 XVII ENTER THE POLICE 162 XVIII BRENDAN'S MARSH 172 XIX THE FIGHT AT CREEK HOUSE 188 XX READ ALL ABOUT IT! 201 * * * * * SMUGGLERS' REEF CHAPTER I Night Assignment "Adventure," Rick Brant said, "is kind of hard to define, because what may be adventure to one person may be commonplace to another." He took a bite of cake and stretched his long legs comfortably. "Now, you take flying with Scotty. That's the most adventurous thing I do." Mr. and Mrs. Brant and Jerry Webster looked at Don Scott, the object of Rick's jibe, and waited for his reply. Verbal warfare between the two boys was a usual feature of the evening discussions on the big front porch of the Brant home on Spindrift Island. Scotty, a husky, dark-haired boy, grinned lazily. "You've proved your own point," he returned. "Flying with me is adventure to you but safe travel to anyone else. I'd say the most adventurous thing you do is drive a car." Mrs. Brant, an attractive, motherly woman, poured another cup of coffee for Jerry Webster. The young reporter had started the discussion by stating wistfully that he wished he could share in some of the Brant adventures. "Why do you call Rick's driving adventurous?" she asked.