s, are
we?" Carol asked exasperatedly.

"This is Bill Anderson of Ft. Lauderdale, owner and skipper. Our call
letters are William George 3176, Coast Guard registration #235-46-5483.
What are your instructions regarding dog satellite?"

"Please stand by."

Bill and Carol stared at each other while the voice on the radio was
silent.

"This is the United States Coast Guard calling the yacht _Seven Seas_."

"_Seven Seas_ standing by."

"We wish to remind you that it is illegal and punishable by fine and or
imprisonment to issue false reports to the Coast Guard. We are
investigating your report and wish you to stand by."

"Investigating our report?" Bill fairly shouted into the phone. "Good
God, man! The thing to investigate is _here_, laying in three pieces on
the middle of Little Harbor Cay. This is no joke." Despite the emotion
in Bill's voice, the answer came back routine and cold, "Please stand
by. We will call you. Do not, we repeat, do not make further contact
anywhere. Please stand by. Coast Guard standing by with the _Seven
Seas_."

"_Seven Seas_ standing by," shouted Bill, almost apoplectic, his face
reddening in anger.

"Now what? It looks like they're going to take their time in believing
us. At least until they find out who we are and if we're really here,"
said Carol.

Bill paced the deck in frustration. Suddenly he decided, "Carol, you
stick with the radio. I'm going ashore again and take another look at
our Muttnik. It seems so incredible that I'm not even sure of what I saw
last night. Once they believe us they'll want to know as much about it
as we can tell them." Bill hurriedly put on his swim suit and heard
Carol shout as he dove overboard, "Hurry back, Bill. I don't like you
leaving me here alone!"

Bill swam with sure even strokes to the shore where they had gone last
night. The water felt cool. It soothed his nerves which jangled in the
excitement of the discovery and in the anger at the disbelieving
authorities. He reached shallow water and waded towards shore.

Suddenly he stopped dead, his ankles in five inches of water. His eyes
stared ahead in disbelief. His brain was numbed. Only his eyes were
alive, staring, wide in horror. Finally his brain pieced together the
image that his vision sent to it. Pieced it together but made no
comprehension of it.

His brain told him that there was a blanket of fur laying unevenly
twenty feet back from the shore line. A blanket of yellow and blac