CORAL JUNGLES OF SEA-COW REEF 



to about a third of my first estimate, and two 

 young ones showed more curiosity about me than 

 she did. They soon melted again into the schooner 

 shadow and I was alone. Then my rope twisted 

 slightly and I found myself gazing at a huge bit 

 of shark bait on a hook and line dangling from the 

 aft deck. In my present pose, crouched into a 

 ball on my own rope, there was altogether too 

 much resemblance to the object in front of me, so 

 I promptly unrolled and slid down. 



The shark bait proved to be my last touch with 

 the upper world. Slowly I slipped down and 

 down, and, for all definite feelings, I might liave 

 been just one additional translucent aurelia float- 

 ing in the turquoise ether. Now and then a tiny 

 but active jellylet brushed against the glass of 

 my helmet, and I involuntarily swept it away as 

 one would a cobweb or a gnat in the upper air. 

 Then, without warning, I was aware of having less 

 adaptable organs of sense than the casual jellies, 

 and a needle-sharp pain shot through my right 

 ear — my old airplane ear. I scrambled up a yard 

 or two and began to swallow and wobble my neck 

 about. Then I opened my mouth, depressed my 

 tongue and said Ah-h-h-h-h as I do for a tonsil- 

 interested doctor. Soon there came the reassuring 

 little squeak of equalizing air in the Eustachian 

 tube or somewhere in my head; the pain vanished 

 and I went on. I slid more slowly now and did 

 not have to delay again, except when my pet 

 school of Caranx lotus swept past — seven left of 



135 



