Part 19 (2/2)
The group crossed over the reef and swaathered at the water's edge and stripped off their gear For long , Rick?”
”A little Enough to get an answer, I think We haven't discovered a new breed of octopus, because they were installing so that makes a noise”
”Do you know that, or do you infer it?” Tony asked
”I didn't hear the noise, if that's what you mean But what else could it be?”
”Too bad,” Scotty said ”Noon't have a new species naive us the word Hoas it?”
Rick said, with complete truth, ”I was scared to death”
”And so was I,” Zircon admitted ”At first the sensation of coan to see that we had done a rather foolish thing And I al that we send up a constant streaet under the cave, and of Rick's warning
”We thought of your bubbles,” Scotty told them ”I talked it over with Tony, and cah I doubt that I could have reached bottom and found you But atched, and we couldn't see any bubbles at all It was too dark, and ere right where the water was breaking”
”My question is, did you get a picture?” Zircon wanted to know
”I', and it probably saw et scared But it won't do us ht now We can't develop the film”
The boys picked up the equipment and carried it to the _Water Witch_
Rick turned off the compressor He was too tired to wait until all tanks were full Ti
When he and Scotty returned to the cottage, Tony greeted them with cups of hot chocolate and they sat on the porch and enjoyed them
”Let's surees that we know anything worth suht to get it to Steve A he's fighting, but we know one of theency is pri et word of these men to him”
”We discussed that earlier,” Tony recalled ”In view of our discussion, it would seem that either Rick or Scotty or both must fly to Charlotte Amalie and tell him personally”
Scotty pointed at the sky ”Have any of you looked up there?”
All of theht to see heavy cirrus h overhead
”There's a front of so down on us,” Scotty said ”And did you notice the swells tonight? Long ones I'ns are there We're in for a storht,” Zircon agreed ”I'lad you're observant, Scotty
Frankly, I hadn't even bothered looking at the weather I suppose I thought it would just continue to be perfect”