Read Online The Secret of Skeleton Reef by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online

laughter, Rob and Davy sped away from the skiff, foam spewing in their wake. The skiff rocked roughly on the waves created by the powerboat.
    Except for a few minor glass cuts, the Hardys were uninjured by the bombs—but the same was not true of the skiff. “We’re in trouble,” Frank said. He pointed to two long cracks on the skiff’s floor. Water was seeping into the boat.
    â€œShould we start bailing?” Joe asked.
    â€œWe’ll never be able to keep up with the flow of water,” Frank said, opening a wooden supply box the boys had brought from the bungalow. He pulled out a flare gun and two flares.
    As the water rose to his ankles, Frank loaded a flare into the small pistol. “Here goes,” he said,aiming the pistol into the air. He pulled the trigger, the cylinder whistled up to the sky, and soon the cylinder was trailing a stream of red smoke.
    â€œWhy isn’t anyone around?” Joe asked, still not seeing a single vessel on the horizon.
    â€œMaybe because it’s so cloudy,” Frank said, noticing more dark clouds drifting overhead.
    The Hardys remained in the skiff another few minutes, hoping a vessel would come after someone spotted the red distress signal. Each tense and silent moment seemed to stretch into hours. When the stern began angling into the sea, Frank shot the second and final flare.
    â€œAfter you,” Frank said to his brother in a grim tone.
    Joe jumped into the water, Frank right after him. As they watched the skiff sink lower, the Hardys floated in the warm water, made buoyant by the foam in their life jackets. Having no better choices, they began swimming in the direction of St. Lucia.
    After fifteen minutes the Hardys stopped to rest, floating on their backs. Frank scanned the water in every direction, seeing only a lone seagull soaring by. Then Frank saw a most unwelcome sight.
    â€œDon’t panic,” Frank told Joe, “but I see a few sharks headed our way.”
    Joe turned. In the distance he saw the dorsal fins of three sharks. “It’s okay,” Joe said. “I came face-to-face with a shark when I was diving earlier. He didn’t bother me at all. Apparently they’re mostlydangerous to humans if the humans are near the shore or if the humans are—”
    â€œWhat is it?” Frank asked, now seeing a stunned look on Joe’s face.
    â€œOne of us is bleeding,” Joe said seriously.
    Frank glimpsed a trail of crimson blood in the clear water. “Oh, no,” he said. “It must be the cut I got on my ankle from the anchor line. The water probably pulled off my bandage and opened the wound.”
    Frank knew what Joe had been about to say before he saw the blood. Sharks were only dangerous to humans if the humans were near the shore or if they were bleeding! Sharks could smell blood from great distances and would usually go after a bleeding creature.
    â€œLook,” Joe said, seeing at least a dozen dorsal fins in the water. They were about a football field away and swimming for the Hardys at a good clip.
    â€œWhat a day!” Frank cried in frustration.
    â€œThis is not good at all,” Joe said, trying against all odds to stay cool. “In fact, this is—”
    â€œShhh,” Frank said. “I hear something.”
    â€œWhat is it?” Joe asked, turning.
    He saw something silver glinting over a cloud. The silver was a small airplane, and it soon began angling down, heading straight for the Hardys.
    â€œHe sees us!” Frank cried out happily. “He’s coming down for us!”
    â€œHe’d better hurry,” Joe said, noticing that the sharks were only about seventy yards away.
    The plane was nearing the Hardys, flying close to the water. A side door flew open, the most welcome sight Joe had ever seen. When somebody leaned out of the plane, he was amazed to see it was Jamal.
    â€œOkay, Hardys,” Jamal called over the plane’s noise.