ed growth of beard that had been a
trim Van Dyke; and before the torpooner could answer, Sallorsen said:

"Dr. Lawson. One of our scientists. In time for what?"

"To get you and the submarine free," said Ken.

"How?"

* * * * *

Ken paused before replying. He gazed around--out the side walls of
glistening quarsteel into the sea gloom, into the thick of the smooth,
lithe, brown-skinned shapes that now and again poised pressing against
the submarine, peering in with their liquid seal's eyes. Dimly he
could see the taut seaweed ropes stretching down from the top of the
_Peary_ to the sea-bottom. It looked hopeless, and to these men inside
it was hopeless. He knew he must speak in confident, assured tones to
drive away the uncaring lethargy holding them all, and he framed
definite, concise words with which to do it.

"These creatures have caught you," he began, "and you think they want
to kill you. But look at them. They seem to be seals. They're not.
They're men! Not men like us--half-men--sealmen, rather--changed into
present form by ages of living in the water. I know. I was captured by
them once. They're not senseless brutes; they have a streak of man's
intelligence. We must communicate with that intelligence. Must reason
with them. I did once. I can do it again.

"They're not really hostile. They're naturally peaceful; friendly. But
my friend--dead now--killed one of them. Naturally they now think all
creatures like us enemies. That's why they trapped your sub.

"They think you're enemies; think you want to kill them. But I'll tell
them--through pictures, as I did once before--that you mean them no
harm. I'll tell them you're dying and must have air--just as they
must. I'll tell them to release submarine and we'll go away and not
disturb them again. Above all I must get across that you wish them no
harm. They'll listen to what my pictures will say--and let us
go--'cause at heart they're friendly!"

* * * * *

He paused--and with a ghastly, twisted smile, Captain Sallorsen
whispered:

"The hell you say!"

His sardonic comment brought a sudden chill to Kenneth Torrance. He
feared one thing that would render his whole value useless. He asked
quickly:

"What have you done?"

"Those seals," Sallorsen's labored voice continued "--they've killed
eight of us. Now they're killing all."

"But have you killed any of them?" Breathless, Ken waited for