o get a look at what the
frogmen were doing. There was no way out of it. He just had to take a
chance.

He wrote, "I mak pass hldng brth so no bbls, tak pix. U sty out of rnge
& cvr me wth gn."

Rick had just one hope of getting away with it. He had to assume that
the frogmen would be busy with whatever they were doing in the cave. If
so, their backs would be to the open sea. At least the chance was worth
taking.

Zircon wrote, "OK bt be crfl."

Rick didn't need the warning. Together, they swam back until they were
close to the glow of the lights. 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 swam away 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 swam upward until he was on a level with
the light, and directly out to sea from it. He inhaled, filling his
lungs, then with camera outthrust, he drove directly toward the light.
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 camera and kept moving with
powerful strokes. Then he held his legs still and let inertia carry him
in a silent glide. He had to get close--close!

The light grew in intensity, and details grew clearer. He saw the
frogmen, and their backs were to him! Between them, he caught a glimpse
of something brassy and round, and he saw the octopus, clinging to the
reef to one side of the cave.

He held the camera button as long as he dared. Then when it seemed that
he would glide right into the frogmen, he twisted sideways and bent
backward like a circus acrobat, flippers moving in powerful thrusts. It
was an excellent underwater imitation of a wingover, the plane maneuver
that reversed direction by diving and turning. He planed downward until
he touched bottom, then thrust himself with frantic kicks away from the
vicinity of the cave.

His lungs were about to burst, he felt, when finally he drew a deep
breath. The gurgling sigh of his bubbles was sheer relief. He kept
moving until he bumped headlong into 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 estimated, Tony and Scotty would be waiting. As t