Don Winslow of the Navy #40

Don Winslow and Red Pennington investigate missing shipments of quinine in Java, uncovering a web of deception tied to a local superstition about the Chulik monster. As they follow clues through the jungle, they realize the foreman, Van Snook, is using the legend to manipulate the natives into stealing the medicine—until they’re captured and nearly thrown into an active volcano.

Eaglebeak Spruder is convinced his friend Charlie is too scared to face him, leading to a playful dare where Charlie’s buddies try to get him to admit it. The story follows the escalating teasing and bravado, with Eaglebeak clearly enjoying the moment, but the outcome of the challenge remains uncertain.

Joe, a young man with a flair for risky schemes, wins a $1,000 Victory Bond through sheer chance, earning the captain’s grudging respect. But when the bond vanishes from the safe the next day, Joe realizes his luck may have been too good to last.

Don Winslow and Red Pennington, on special duty with the Coast Guard in Alaska, find themselves caught in a scheme when two crooks disguised as construction workers try to exploit an ice hockey game to cover their tracks. As the team competition heats up, Winslow is knocked out and left behind, forcing a dramatic last-minute return to the rink to turn the tide.

Don Winslow and Captain Crabfish are both stranded at sea, but the radio operator Joe is distracted by a looping SOS broadcast, leading to a mix-up that leaves the gold cargo still out of reach. The humor comes from Joe’s literal interpretation of the radio's static-filled signal and the captain’s misguided plan to exploit the situation.

Don Winslow and Red Pennington investigate the mysterious disappearance of retired chemist Nosmo King, whose last known location was a wrecked home and a lab riddled with clues pointing to gasoline and sabotage. When their trail leads them to a suspicious former colleague and a hidden package, they uncover a dangerous conspiracy involving a secret formula that could revolutionize naval fuel—now in the hands of a ruthless enemy who will stop at nothing to keep it from the Navy.