anyway. They're
disposed to be friendly; but if you killed one there'd be the devil to
pay." Ken paused, and his eyes closed. He said wearily:

"But, I'm dog tired; no sleep for twenty hours. Let me sleep an hour or
two; my head'll be much clearer and we'll talk it over."

Chanley Beddoes said nothing. Ken yawned and stretched his body as
comfortably as he could on the slime-coated rocks. Dazed from the rush
of amazing events his eyelids closed at once, and soon his breathing
settled into a regular beat.

* * * * *

Perhaps half an hour later, a shape moved in the dank gloom of the
underwater cavern. The top plane of water rippled softly; little
wavelets eddied against the rocks and whispered as the shape slipped
down underneath. Then there was silence, no movement; and the water
again calmed into a black sheet, smooth as glass. For minutes it stayed
so, while Ken's deep, regular breathing stirred the air.

Then suddenly the water's calm was broken. Through its rippling waves
the shape reappeared, rivulets streaming from it. Quickly hauling itself
up on the rocks, it clambered towards the sleeper. For a moment it
paused; then its helmet swung back, revealing Chan's tense, pale face. A
hand reached out and gripped the sleeper's arm. A voice called:

"Ken! Wake up! Hurry!"

Even as the words reverberated in the close bowl, the black mirror of
water stirred once more. Something pierced through and drifted idly on
the surface. It was a large brown-skinned shape, apparently lifeless.

"Ken!" called Chan anxiously again.

The first torpooner stirred. Out of the depths of slumber he mumbled:

"What's the matter?"

"We've got to shove off right now! Quick! Put on your helmet!"

Kenneth Torrance sat up and peered through half-open eyes. He saw before
him the face of Chanley Beddoes, wild and excited. In one hand he held
the steel crowbar. And behind, on the surface of the water, floated the
motionless body of a blubber-man, its head beaten in, streamers of red
trailing from it.

Ken said sharply:

"You killed him? After what I told you? You fool!"

"Yes, I killed him!" Beddoes answered brazenly. "What of it?"

Ken said nothing for a moment. Bitter reproach trembled on his tongue,
but he did not speak the words, for Chan's mind was all too clearly on
the thin line this side of insanity. He only said:

"Well, you've forced the issue, and we've got to leave immediately. It
may mean ou