EM EM : monthly magazine - 01.09.1941, Page 33

Em Em

jjistincnveíy x reacnea ror my
air valve' and shut off my air sai
that I could listen for the native;
diver. There was no slightest
sound save that which came over
the telephone line from the Whip-
ple; someone barking orders, the
patter of feet on the declt, and
then suddenly my name, “Leslie!
Leslie!” y
“Got you, Dick, “I spoke softly,
for I knew from experience how
soimd carries in the vvater.
“They’ve got a diver down, all
right.”
“Don’t I know it!” I answered
guardedly. “I just tangled with
him. Gaught him trying to cut my
air line. We rolled down the deck
into the mud.”
I heard Hoffman curse and
shout an order. Then, “X’m send-
ing an armed boat crew over to
the Juarto. I’ve already ordered
Huertas to haul up his man. Are
your lines clear?”
“I doubt it. You might give a
pull and see.”
A little pause. “We’re pulling.”
“No go. I rolled all the way
down the deck from the top rail.
Couldn’t help but foul on some-
thing. Got to have air now. See
you in a minute.”
I didn’t open my air valve at
once. X waited for several min-
utes, every nerve on edge, strain-
ing for tlie slightest sound that
would betray the position of the
other diver. "’aen I heard a faint,
almost inaudible squish as a foot
was pulled out of the mud. The
sound came from in front of me
and could not have traveled far.
I gripped my knife tightly and
raised my arm. Opening my air
valve wide, I inhaled a dozen deep
lungsful and aliowed the foul air
in the suit to clear. Then I shut
off the air and listened.
No sound save the swift pound-
ing of my heart and the faint
noises from the declc above. The
water was still inky black and
gave no indication of clearing. I;
realized that we were in a virtual;
pocket on the floor of the sea, pro-i
tected from whatever slight cur-'
rents there were by the deck and:
the superstructure, which rose oh
three sides of us.
It might be hours before tlíq
water cleared sufficiently for us to
see one another. Hours of playing
hide and seek in the darkness,
with death the stake. I didn’t like
lt a little bit.
Again I heard that faint squish
as a foot was lifted from the mud.
It came, now, from a little to my
right. I knew the other man war
searching for me, moving blindly
throutrh the water. readv a.t the
liioLcun, ta cTOitn'&v 1,0 meran t-pen
my suit.
Well, two could play at tlxatj
game. I was about to turn on my
air when I heard a call from Hoff-i
man.
“Listen, Ray! My boat crevvi
just signaled back that the othefl
diver's lines are fouled. Tliey or-
dered Huertas to pull him up and!
when he refused they grabbed the
life line and tried to haul him
themselves. The line is fouled, all
right.”
“Fair enough,” I said. “So are
mine. That makes us even.”
“Are you crazy, Ray? Listen,
guy! My men have just signaled
asking if they should cut the other;
diver’s air line. How about it? If-
you say the word—”
“No!” I ansvvered shortly.
“But Lord, man! We haven’t
another rig. We can’t send dovvn
a man to help you. If that diver
cuts—”
“No! Let us alone. I refuse to
allow you to murder the man by
cutting his line. He started this
thing. I’m going to finish it. It’s
my fight and I’ll see it through in
my own way. That’s all now. Got
to have air.”
I opened my valve. I heard
Hoffman’s protesting voice, but his
words were lost in thc roar of air
in my ears. I smUed, despite the
situation—it was a good thing
Dick Hoffman was my friend;
superior officers may be defled, but
not often with impunity.
With my legs wide apart, ray
left hand stretched out likc a
fighter on guard, my right dxawn.
back to plunge home mv knife, I
waited ln the inky darkness. I
had not shifted my position since
I first gained my feet after that
plunge down the deck. And I had'
no intention of moving, for I knewj
that when finally we came in con-'
tact, as inevitably we must, the
advantage would lie with the man
who was on balance with both feet
on the ground.
Possibly 10 minutes passed.í
They seemed as many hours toi
me. From time to time I shut offl
my air and listened for the otherj
diver. I heard nothing further, no(
slightest sound that would betrayi
the Andegoyan’s position.
“He’s decided to play a waitingí
game,” I reflected. “Fair enough!!
I can wait as long as he can.”
i The minutes dragged slowly by.;
Once or twice .Hoffman tried toi
persuade me to®.xllow his men tol
cut the native’s air line. Eachj
time I curtly refused and tumedj
on my air to cut off further con-:
versation.
. aíi Timf passéd, an hour with
every nerve on edge, every muscle
'tense and straining. Then I noted
'that a faint light was beginning
to penetrate my face plate. The
'slowly moving currents on the
floor of the sea vvere at vvork.
The roiled water vvas gradually
jclearing. Another hour, possibly
less, and we would be able to see
each other.
: I was fully conscious of my dan-
ger, and thinking about it wasn't
pleasant. If, when the water
cleared, I chanced to have my
back to the native—well, it would
be just too bad. However, I re-
flected grimly, if the situation hap-
pened to be rev’ersed, it would be
too bad for the native.
Unless the Andegoyan’s air line
was cut—and I knew Hoffman
would not cut it without my or-
der—there was no way of avoid-
ing a fight. Neither of us could
escape to the surface without la-
boriously climbing up on deck and
releasing his fouled lines, and
neither of us dared make the first
move.
Thus the situation vvhile the
sluggish tide moved about the
foundered ship and cleared the
muddy water with exasperating,t
nerve-racking slowness. The light*
that penetrated from above grew
istronger.
I could see my outstretched
'arm, weary now and cramped. Myj
jstraining eyes peered this way and
ithat, striving for a glimpse of the*
’native. My heart throbbed under
jthe tenslon of waiting. Hot blood
jpoured through my veins and 1
felt exhilarated, eager, like a well-,
trained and confident boxer vvait-
ing for the gong. High presssure
does queer things to a man.
There is no accounting for the
vagaries of current at the bottorn
of the sea. Possibly the tide
changed. Possibly the Juarto or
the Whipple turned over her en-
gines to shift her position slight-
ly. Whatever the cause, the slug-
gish current that moved through
that pocket in the sea was sud-
denly increased.
One minute I could see my out-
stretched arm mly dimly. The
next minute, the current was
sweeping away the mist of silt like
a sudden gust of wind clears away
the smoke above an anchored ship.
I leaned forward on my toes,
knife ready, every sense alert. The
light grew brighter. The last of
the roily water was swept avv’ay.
And then, not 10 feet avvay, I
made out the form of the other
diver.
We saw one another at the same
instant- Knivea outthmst w»