ent directions on exploring trips of their own. They were 

 swimming farther and farther away from Wee Diver, and 

 Kemp, in the boat, was working farther away from them 

 all the time. 



I was truly frightened. Didn't they know that these 

 were the Silver shoals? How dared they swim so far away 

 from the boat and from each other? These waters were 

 certain to be full of dangerous sharks and barracuda! Here 

 on these sixteen hundred square miles of banks and rocks 

 was a perfect haven for the fish life of the entire Atlantic! 



I stormed inwardly at Barney and Jane. Wliy didn't 

 they stay together? Why hadn't they told Kemp to keep 

 near them? I railed at Kemp. Why didn't he keep his boat 

 within calling distance? 



Then Barney disappeared from my sight completely. 

 The last I had seen of him, he was swimming in the direc- 

 tion of the dry rock. By this time I had communicated my 

 fears to Ed and Glenn. We got out the glasses and took 

 turns searching the waters for Barney. At last Glenn 

 picked out his bobbing head a quarter mile from Wee 

 Diver. He was swimming slowly in the direction of the 

 boat. Jane was now near enough to Wee Diver to signal 

 Kemp. After he had picked her up, they headed in 

 Barney's direction and he, too, climbed into the boat. 



They returned nonchalantly to Sea Diver, completely 

 unaware of the fright they had given me. They were 

 enthusiastic over the beauty of the bottom and urged Ed 

 and me to hurry on to see it. They had not spotted any- 

 thing of importance during their quick survey. They 

 hadn't even seen any big fish, so all my fears had been 

 needless, and in any case they were soon forgotten in my 

 eagerness to get started. I could hardly wait for Kemp to 

 refuel the outboard, but at last we were on oiu way. 



I was overwhelmed at what I saw through the glass 

 bottom of the boat — great towering coral cliffs, honey- 



256 Sea Diver 



