Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Hugo dropped the kids off on the dock. "Run and get your father," he said. "I'm going back out there to keep an eye on Sundown!" With Sammi in the lead, the kids raced for the castle. The king was on the telephone in his office when they burst in. The king looked up. "Sammi, I'm talking to the police. Can you pl—" "We found the gold!" Sammi blurted out. The king's mouth dropped open. "Where?" he asked, ignoring the telephone. "Dink figured it out," Sammi told his father. "Dr. Skor hid the gold underneath his boat!"

Interrupting each other, the kids quickly explained how Hugo had swum beneath the yacht and spotted the gold. "But you have to hurry, Pop," Sammi said. "A guy on Sundown saw us. He'll tell Dr. Skor, and they'll take off!" The king spoke into the telephone. "Surround that yellow yacht in the harbor!" he ordered. "And have your fastest boat pick me up at the dock in three minutes!" The kids were surprised at how fast the king could run. He made it to the dock before they did and leaped into a sleek police boat. The boat practically flew out of the water as it sped toward Sundown. Hugo zoomed back to the dock and whistled. The kids climbed into his boat, and he raced after the police. By now three police boats had tied up to Sundown. As Hugo and the kids approached, Dink could see several officers boarding the yacht. "Look!" Ruth Rose suddenly yelled. She pointed aft, where Dr. Skor sat in his rubber dinghy.

The man started the motor and the dinghy roared toward open sea. "He's getting away!" Ruth Rose yelled. "Can you catch him?" Dink asked. Hugo grinned. "Do fish drink water?" he asked. "Hold on!" Hugo thrust the throttle all the way forward. His boat tore around Sundown with its bow out of the water. The kids grabbed their seats and braced themselves as they bounced over the water. Ruth Rose was sitting next to Hugo. "You steer!" he yelled in her ear. "Use both hands and get as close as you can to his dinghy!" Dink, Josh, and Sammi stared as Ruth Rose and Hugo switched places. Her knuckles were white as she clutched the steering wheel.

Hugo picked up the anchor. It had three sharp prongs that were meant to grab and hold. A long rope was tied to the anchor. The rope's other end was attached to a metal ring on the bow. "Can you get any closer?" Hugo shouted to Ruth Rose. "Do monkeys eat bananas?" she shouted back. She turned the wheel, and the boat responded. When his boat was about fifteen feet from the dinghy Hugo stood up. He spread his legs for balance, then whipped the anchor over his head. The steel anchor landed in Dr. Skor's rubber dinghy with a thud. Hugo grabbed the wheel from

Ruth Rose and whipped it around. Then he shoved the throttle forward, and his boat lurched ahead. Dink didn't understand what Hugo was up to. Was he planning to tow Dr. Skor's dinghy back to shore? But then he got it. The anchor rope stretched to the breaking point, but it held. Suddenly they all heard a ripping noise. The anchor hooks had torn a hole in Dr. Skor's dinghy. When they looked, it was losing air fast. Dr. Skor turned and glared at Hugo and his passengers. The thief's face was nearly purple with rage. Just then two police boats roared up to them. "Good job, kids," one of the officers said. "We'll take it from here." Riko and Mr. Baz were released from jail. Dr. Skor and his crew took their place. Police divers brought the gold ashore, and it was once more locked in the bank vault.

Riko's crew repaired the vault floor and filled in the tunnel. The yellow crime-scene tape came down, and work began on the aquarium again. "And I have you kids to thank for saving the day" the king said. Sammi had invited Hugo to join them for ice cream and leftover birthday cake.