dropped down on the deck.

"I found my voice and I think that I gave a yell, but even as I opened
my mouth, I realized the futility of it. The _Arethusa_ was sucked down
into the sea as though it had been a tiny chip. I saw the water rising
to the rail, and I think I cried out again. The ship tilted and I felt
myself falling. The next thing I knew was when I was in the hospital and
was told that I had been raving for a week. I was afraid to tell my
story for fear I would be put in an asylum, so I kept a tight tongue in
my head until I was discharged."

* * * * *

Dr. Bird mused for a moment as the seaman's voice stopped.

"You cried out all right, Mr. Mitchell," he said. "You gave two distinct
shouts, both of which were heard by the watch on the _Wren_, the Coast
Guard cutter. They reported that at 1:30, the _Arethusa_ sank without
warning. As soon as he heard your shouts, the watch gave the alarm and
the crew piled on deck. The _Arethusa_ was gone completely and the
_Wren_ was tossing about like 'a chip in a whirlpool' as they
graphically described it. The _Wren_ had steam up and they fought the
waves and steamed over your anchoring ground looking for survivors, but
they found none. The sea gradually subsided and they did the only thing
they could do--dropped a buoy, to guide the salvage people, and radioed
for assistance. The _Robin_ came out and joined them, and both cutters
stood by until daylight, but nothing unusual was seen. The insurance
people are trying to salvage the wreck now, but so far they have made
little headway."

"That brings me to the rest of the story, the part that made me decide
to come to you, Doctor," said the seaman. "Did you see what happened to
the divers yesterday?"

Dr. Bird nodded.

"I saw a brief account of it," he said. "It seems that two of them were
lost through their lines getting fouled and their air connections
severed in some way. I don't believe the bodies have been recovered
yet."

"They never will be recovered, Doctor. I was discharged from the
hospital yesterday and the papers were just out with an account of it. I
went down to the dock where the _John MacLean_, the salvage ship, ties
up, and I talked to Captain Starley who commands it. I have known him
casually for some years, although not intimately, and he gave me a few
more details than the press got. He didn't connect me up at first with
the Mitchell who was reported lost on the _Ar