Part 19 (1/2)

He followed Zircon's lead, cutting the light off and on as necessary, as the big scientist rew in intensity, but they were still too far away to see its exact position, or whether there were men around it

Rick's heart beat faster, and his breathing speeded up appreciably In spite of Zircon's plan to clai discovered wouldthat they were up against a ruthless eneet without being seen? He could take pictures at ten feet, but at any greater distance the ca slowly now Rick followed, not bothering with the dark-light unit because the glow in the water was enough for a beacon Then the glow faded for a ure crossed in front of it Still Zircon lows that he identified as the belt lights the frog the botto to take theer below

Rick followed, staying just behind Zircon's flippers, feeling the wash of water froht was nearly overhead now, and Rick saw dark figuresIt was unreal, like a Hollywood motion picture, except that the tense hing of their regulators

And with the thought, Rick almost lost his ht past the froght already be too late, because Zircon was almost directly under the cave!

CHAPTER XII

Clouds Over Clipper Cay

Rick jerked frantically on the tie rope, four tier, then he turned and swam rapidly back the way they had come At first he felt resistance on the line, then Zircon hurried to catch up Not until they were barely within seeing distance of the light did Rick stop, then he took his belt slate, started the cao by thm if we undr They see”

Zircon held a hand to his head in a sign of chagrin that he had forgotten, then he wrote, ”He gt clos?”

Rick pondered the problem The bubbles had alarmed him in another way, too It was possible that thewhere only tere supposed to be Yet, he couldn't escape the feeling that it was i There was no way out of it He just had to take a chance

He wrote, ”I e & cvraith it He had to assu in the cave If so, their backs would be to the open sea At least the chance orth taking

Zircon wrote, ”OK bt be crfl”

Rick didn't need the warning Together, they swahts He hoped that the darkness and breaking surf above were concealing their bubbles Finally Zircon halted Rick unsnapped the line that held him to the scientist, squeezed Zircon's shoulder, and say from the reef toward the open water He kept his head turned so he could keep the light in his field of vision

When he was out far enough he swaht, and directly out to sea fros, then with caht

It wasn't hard to hold his breath--not with his heart acting as a stopper in his throat

The light grew clearer He started the ca with powerful strokes Then he held his legs still and let inertia carry hiht grew in intensity, and details grew clearer He saw the frogli brassy and round, and he saw the octopus, clinging to the reef to one side of the cave

He held the ca as he dared Then when it seemen, he twisted sideways and bent backward like a circus acrobat, flippersin powerful thrusts It was an excellent underwater iover, the planeHe planed doard until he touched bottom, then thrust himself with frantic kicks away fros were about to burst, he felt, when finally he drew a deep breath The gurgling sigh of his bubbles was sheer relief He keptinto Hobart Zircon The scientist reached out and snapped his rope onto Rick's belt, then tugged twice

Zircon led the way along the reef bottom until they reached the spot where, they esti As they started for the surface, Rick switched on the camera and looked at his watch

They had been under only tenconstriction of air running out!

Zircon broke water and instantly subain He led the way a few feet under the surface to where he had seen Tony and Scotty, then led Rick to the top once e and without a word turned and started back toward the cottage, pushi+ng their floats Instead of bothering with the snorkel, Rick kept the aqualung uiding himself by the wake of the others He was tired--and relieved