jection of Joy are set for tonight. And that's the second question.
Will the satellite, still in its orbit, eject the chamber containing
Joy? Will it eject the chamber as scheduled, and will the chamber arrive
back at earth at the designated place?

"There are many 'ifs' to this project which is shrouded in secrecy. The
President himself has assured us of a free flow of news once the chamber
has been recovered, and this station will be standing by to bring you a
full report."

Carol switched the radio off. "Do you think he's alive?" She suppressed
a shudder. "God! Think of a human being up there in that thing."

"Well, the dog lived for several days. It was just a question of getting
it back, which the Russians couldn't do. I don't know about Joy. He
sounded real cheerful and healthy until his broadcasts stopped." Bill
peered into the fading twilight. "Come on now, let's put our minds to
getting the hook over!"

They concentrated on the tricky entrance to the lee side of Little
Harbor Cay. It meant finding and passing a treacherous coral head north
of the adjoining Frozen Cay. Little Harbor Cay was midway in the chain
of the Berry Islands which stretched to the north like beads in a
necklace.

"There's the cove," called Carol. About a mile of coastline ahead was
the small native settlement. Once the center of a thriving sponge
industry, the island was now practically deserted. A handful of small
cottages, a pile of conch shells on the beach and two fishing smacks
gave evidence of a remaining, though sparse, population.

Dusk was rapidly approaching and Carol strained her eyes against the
failing light. Bill heard her call his name and saw her pointing--not
ahead to their anchorage, but amidships and toward the sky. He turned
his eyes to where she was indicating and saw a dullish object in the
sky, some thousand feet up. The object seemed to be falling leisurely
towards earth.

"What in the world is that?" asked Bill. "It's not a bird, that's for
sure."

The object seemed to be parachuting, not falling. The breezes were
blowing it towards the island. Before they could study it further, it
was lost in the lowering dusk and darkness of the shore line.

"Looks like a ball on a parachute," Bill finally said. However, the
business at hand was to make secure the _Seven Seas_ and together they
spent the next quarter hour anchoring.

After "setting the hook" securely, Carol and Bill donned swim suits,
dove overboard