Part 25 (2/2)

Scotty writhed to one side, and the fact that the froge The spear went by, and Scotty lifted his own gun to return the shot

Rick, senses suddenly acute, glanced upward again in tih the lanced up, too Then, instead of firing, he sped forward and thrust the tip of his spear at the frogh Scotty jerked the man's face plate loose, then turned swiftly and , as Scotty led the way into deeper water in the direction of the wreck

The frogs His Scuba was the type that co apparatus with the full face plate He could clear the face plate of the water Scotty had let in, but it would take a little time

Suddenly Scotty shot upward Rick turned and looked over his shoulder as he followed The second two froguns!

Scotty led the way into the murky layer, then leveled off and swam horizontally Rick wondered what kind of evasive action his pal was planning, but he folloithout trying to communicate with the other boy In a situation like this, Scotty's instincts were dependable

Rick stayed close to Scotty in theat his side and a little behind After a few yards Scotty dove again, into clear water

Rick looked around but could see no sign of the enemen had followed and were still in the murk

Scotty shot doard, Rick at his side The wreck was directly below theht through the grouper's front door into the cabin Rick followed, half expecting to see Scotty and the grouper meet head on, but the fish hadn't returned

Inside the cabin, Scotty switched on his flashlight, took his slate, and wrote, ”Thyl thnk nt bk to bot We sty hr lng nuff thy fnd out we nt thr & co up to bot”

Rick nodded his understanding It was good strategy, provided they timen would assume the boys had returned to the _Water Witch_ when they went up through the ain At that tiroups would pass in the e while their ene

He looked at his watch They had only a few men would have more air, not only because they had entered the water after the boys were already on the bottom, but because they had not descended so deeply

He wrote, ”Rlax Brethe easy”

The less effort they er their air would last For athat they share one tank by trading the mouthpiece back and forth, but that would leave one of them practically without air when they had to leave He tried to i the boat ladder with caution They couldn't be sure the boys were not waiting in ahts and were resting ht filtered through the hole near the roof, but not enough to see by

Suddenly the light was blocked out!

Rick reached for his belt knife and Scotty thrust the spear gun forward, then both relaxed a little The grouper had returned

The big fish turned at the opening and backed into his hole He hovered in the opening, holding position while he stared out into his watery kingdom Apparently the fish had no idea that the boys were in the cabin When it came tiet the surprise of his life

Even in their predicarouper's reaction He wondered if groupers were subject to heart failure froine thethe _Water Witch_, one up the ladder, the other cli the anchor chain They would be careful, still unsure whether or not the quarry was aboard

He thought he felt constriction in his lungs fro out, but finally decided it was only his i a quick search, spear guns ready to fire their lethal shafts Now they would be in the cabin and shouting their disappoint back into the water, readjusting their face rouper shot out of the cabin with a flick of his powerful tail that raised the silt around therouper had been alarmen were outside the _Maiden Hand_!