Free New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club by Bertrand R. Brinley, Charles Geer

asking for estimates on how long it would take to truck in
enough rock and heavy fill to do this and whether it was possible to get the
big crane down the steep bank with a block-and-tackle rig. Seth Emory had
proposed that the city requisition every truck in the area and set up a
high-speed shuttle with police escorts from the gravel pits out on White Fork
Road. The estimates ran from half a day to a full day, before real rescue
operations could start.
           
Meanwhile, the director of the TV crew had been pacing up and down at the edge
of the group, running his fingers through his hair and looking at his watch
every thirty seconds. He stepped over to Mayor Scragg and tapped him on the
shoulder.
           
"Does that mean there won't be anything happening until noontime... or
maybe even later?"
            "If
you mean when will we be getting the boys out, I guess that's it," said
the Mayor.
            "We
might as well pack up and go back and get some sleep, boys," said the
director to the other members of his crew.
           
"Suit yourself," said Mayor Scragg. "I expect we'll be here a
long time."
            "As
long as we're here, why don't we get some local color?" one of the
cameramen suggested.
           
"Yeah! Maybe we could," said the director, rubbing his chin.
"Say! That gives me an idea." He turned back to the Mayor. "Is
there any possible way to lower a camera into that cave?" he asked.
            Mayor
Scragg looked at him goggle-eyed. "If I could figure that out, I could get
those kids out," he said testily. "Now go away and stop bothering
me!"
            The
director stepped back, a little abashed, and felt somebody plucking at his
sleeve. It was Jeff Crocker.
           
"Excuse me, mister," he said. "There is a way to get a camera
into the cave. But it would take a lot of cable, and it would have to he
waterproof."
            The
director looked at Jeff, not knowing whether to believe him or not. "How
much cable?" he asked.
            Jeff
shrugged. "Maybe three or four hundred feet. I don't know for sure."
            "I
hope you're not kidding me," said the director. "We don't have that
much cable, but we could send and get it. Are you sure you could get it in
there?"
           
"Yeah, I'm sure we could get it in there," said Jeff. "There is
another way into the cavern, but you have to..." Then Jeff started rubbing his chin. "Wait a minute!" he said excitedly, and came running
over to where the rest of us were. "Henry!" he said, grabbing him by
the shoulder. "I'll bet we could get those kids out the same way we took
the sub in, if we had enough diving gear!"
           
"Not so loud!" Mortimer cautioned, looking back to where the TV
director was standing.
           
"Yeah!" said Freddy. "You'll give away our whole secret,
blabbermouth!"
           
"Shut up, Freddy!" said Jeff, pushing him in the face. "The
first thing we have to think about is getting Harmon and his gang out of
there."
            "We
could go back and get our scuba gear," Mortimer suggested, "and Jeff
and I could swim in there and bring 'em out one at a time."
           
"You could bring 'em out faster if you used the submarine," said
Dinky.
           
"That's a good idea," Henry observed. "At least it's worth a
try. We'd better talk it over with Mayor Scragg."
           
"You guys are gonna blow the whole thing!" screamed Freddy. "The
whole town's gonna find out about our secret passage, and Harmon too!"
           
"What's all the argument about?" asked the TV director, walking over
to where we stood. "Can you get a camera down there or not?"
           
"Forget your camera, mister," said Jeff, as we moved off to see the
Mayor under the oak tree. "We've got something important to think
about."
           
"What was that you said about a secret passage?" the director asked,
grabbing Freddy by the arm.
           
"What secret passage?"
            "A
secret passage into that cave, you