boss," came the answer. "It will run out the cable and down
the cab. I've left them plenty of slack to move around when they get
down there."

"O.K.," Hall waved to the riggers, "everybody get outta here. Casey,
plug them in."

Alec and Troy had entered the cab. The communications man leaned over
and coupled the phone system into their helmets and then waved at
Hall.

"You two hear?" Hall demanded.

"Loud and clear," Alec replied.

"All right," Hall ordered, "let's get with it. This is a general
order. All vehicles and personnel not directly involved, pull back a
full mile."

Men and equipment began moving away.

"O.K., Number One crane, lift 'em."

The crane operator on the near bank eased his gears into motion and
the six-ton tractor lifted into the air with Alec and Troy aboard.
When it was five feet above the ground, the crane on the opposite
shore began hauling the draw line and the vehicle swung out over the
water.

"Now listen closely," Hall ordered the pair in the swinging vehicle,
"from this point, you are in control. Stop your slide over the hold by
just yelling "Stop." Number one crane is your up and down operator and
also will pull you towards this bank. If you need to go forward or
backwards when you get inside the hole, just say which way and both
crane carriers will move in the direction you want. Got it?"

"Affirmative," Alec replied.

A second later he yelled "Stop." The pull halted and the heavy vehicle
swayed just a foot above the churn in the waters. Alec waited a minute
until the tractor quite swinging and then ordered, "Let's go down."

* * * * *

Number One crane began paying out cable and the tractor and men
slipped beneath the surface of the turbulent waters.

Surging, silt-laden water rushed upwards past the sides of the heavy
cab and swirled around Troy and Alec. Both were clamped into the seat
by a steel mesh belt and the waters tore and whipped at them. Despite
the six-ton mass of the tractor, both men could feel it quiver against
the thrust of the waters rushing and breaking against its
undersurfaces. Although both had turned on their powerful suit lights,
the lamps made only a dim glow in the surging waters. When the tractor
had dropped some thirty feet, it was Troy who yelled "Hold it!"

The downward motion stopped.

"Let's get back against the wall," Troy yelled over the roar of the
torrent. "Those pumps are pretty well to the center o