Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. THE CAVES OF FEAR A RICK BRANT SCIENCE-ADVENTURE STORY BY JOHN BLAINE GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK, N.Y. COPYRIGHT, 1951, BY GROSSET & DUNLAP, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED _Printed in the United States of America_ [Illustration: At the base of the Black Buddha, a section of the floor had swung upward.] Contents I CHANGES AT SPINDRIFT II THE CIPHER MESSAGE III HEAVY WATER IV PROJECT X V HONG KONG VI THE GOLDEN MOUSE VII THE JUNK WITH PURPLE SAILS VIII LONG SHADOW IX THE TRAIL TO KORSE LENKEN X THE AMBUSH AT LLHAN HUANG XI THE GOATSKIN WATER BAG XII THE BUDDHIST MONK XIII THE BLACK BUDDHA XIV THE CAVES OF FEAR XV THE LABYRINTH XVI THE LAKE OF DARKNESS XVII THROUGH A PAIR OF DARK GLASSES XVIII THE HOSTAGES XIX CANTON CHARLIE'S XX HOME FLIGHT THE CAVES OF FEAR CHAPTER I Changes at Spindrift The sounds of hammer and saw had disturbed Spindrift Island for several days, and Rick Brant was having a hard time getting used to it. The noise didn't bother him. It was the idea behind the noise--the idea that the close fellowship of the famous island was about to be intruded upon by strangers. He sat in a comfortable chair on the front porch of the big Brant house and stared morosely at the Atlantic. He was a tall, athletic boy with brown hair and eyes and a face that was usually pleasant. "What's it going to be like with a mob of strangers galloping all over the place?" he demanded. Don Scott grinned lazily from the depths of his armchair. He was a husky youth, perhaps an inch taller than Rick, with black hair and dark eyes. "Since when do five people make a mob?" he inquired. "Besides, I think adding more scientists to the staff is a good thing. So does Dad." "I know it," Rick returned gloomily. "The others do, too. I'm a downtrodden minority. No one sympathizes with me." Scotty shook his head sadly. "Poor old Rick. Seriously, I don't get it. You should be cheering the loudest. Think of what it means, pal! More fields of science to explore, including one I never heard of before. Maybe more expeditions, of different kinds than the ones we've been on up to now." "That's what I'm thinking about," Rick returned. "Then why the gloom?" "Because..." Rick stopped as the phone rang in the house. Scotty got to his feet quickly. "I'll get it. Mom and Dad are down watching the builders."