by Harry Bates
wasgetting drowsy. He had been through much; he had been short on sleepwhen he had started out. Nevertheless, he forced himself to considertheir situation. Since the blubber-men had kept Chan Beddoes a prisoner,they would no doubt keep him one likewise. It did not mean immediatedeath from suffocation, for there was air of a kind here; and food wasbrought. But--imprisonment!
All around him was damp darkness; the rocks they lay on were jagged andslime coated all over and there were little pools of water here andthere. Gloom; awful water beneath; slimy rocks to lie on; raw whale meatto eat; stench of rotting fish. Imprisonment! Weeks of this! Suddenly hefelt deep admiration for Beddoes in having clung to sanity so long.
"Yes," he said slowly, "we've got to get out. But with that guard onduty.... What's your plan?"
The other coughed long, then began:
"It all depends on whether they've moved my torpoon from the trap whereit stuck. You didn't see it anywhere? Well, it's got to be still in thetrap, and we've got to get to it. It'll carry both of us. The whale thatled me into the trap is dead, and we can finish prying the torp loosewith your crowbar."
Ken nodded. "But the guard?"
Chanley Beddoes said harshly: "I'm going to kill it!"
Ken looked at him. His pale, drawn face was contorted; his handsclenched and unclenched. He repeated:
"Yes, kill it! I've a score to settle with these devils, anyway. I'lltake him unawares. One blow'll do it, if it's placed right. Then, downthe corridor and to the trap. I think I remember the way."
Ken thought it out, and shook his head.
"What's the matter?" Beddoes asked.
"We'd better not," he said "Not yet. And never, if we can help it."
"Why not?" Beddoes cried in great surprise.
"Don't you see? They haven't really harmed us. They're friendly. Yes,they've kept you prisoner and they'll keep me, too--but probably theydon't think that's any terrible hardship for us. And they don't realizehow much we want to get free."
"What will we do then?" Beddoes broke in impatiently.
"When I see the leader again I've got to get it over that we want to bereleased. It's a better risk than killing this guard, anyway. They'redisposed to be friendly; but if you killed one there'd be the devil topay." Ken paused, and his eyes closed. He said wearily:
"But, I'm dog tired; no sleep for twenty hours. Let me sleep an hour ortwo; my head'll be much clearer and we'll talk it over."
Chanley Beddoes said nothing. Ken yawned and stretched his body ascomfortably as he could on the slime-coated rocks. Dazed from the rushof amazing events his eyelids closed at once, and soon his breathingsettled into a regular beat.
* * * * *
Perhaps half an hour later, a shape moved in the dank gloom of theunderwater cavern. The top plane of water rippled softly; littlewavelets eddied against the rocks and whispered as the shape slippeddown underneath. Then there was silence, no movement; and the wateragain calmed into a black sheet, smooth as glass. For minutes it stayedso, while Ken's deep, regular breathing stirred the air.
Then suddenly the water's calm was broken. Through its rippling wavesthe shape reappeared, rivulets streaming from it. Quickly hauling itselfup on the rocks, it clambered towards the sleeper. For a moment itpaused; then its helmet swung back, revealing Chan's tense, pale face. Ahand 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 ofwater stirred once more. Something pierced through and drifted idly onthe 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 beforehim the face of Chanley Beddoes, wild and excited. In one hand he heldthe steel crowbar. And behind, on the surface of the water, floated themotionless body of a blubber-man, its head beaten in, streamers of redtrailing 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 onthe thin line this side of insanity. He only said:
"Well, you've forced the issue, and we've got to leave immediately. Itmay mean our death, but let's forget it. Now--how much of your air-unitsis left?"
"About two hours. I lost a lot through a leak."
Ken took half of his own store of the little cells from his helmet."I'll share mine. That'll give us both sixteen hours all told--in casewe don't find your torpoon. You're sure they killed the whale in thattrap? And you know the way?"
"I think so," said Beddoes excitedly. "You follow me."
"All right. On helmets, then."
The clasps were fastened down, cutting them off from spokencommunication with each other. Ken took the hand-flash and crowbar andstuck them in his own belt, and both clumsy, grotesque figures splashedinto the water, vanished beneath its surface and ducked under theshadowy body of the dead blubber-man.
Below, in the dim quarter-light, Ken peered out of the entrance to thecell chamber. The corridor seemed safe, there being only the distantcolored streaks of light-fish, and occasionally even these disappeared,leaving heaped shadows in the darkened water. He nodded to Beddoes andboldly they began their flight.
Their progress was nerve-rackingly slow, in spite of their utmostexertions. The water that retarded them at times contained unsuspectedcurrents that destroyed their equilibrium and sent them stroking madlywith both hands to regain it. Far different, this, than the swift,effortless swimming of the blubber-men. Their weighted feet stumbledoften on the floor of the passage, and several times they lost balanceand fell towards the sides. Each time that this happened Ken was struckwith the fear of ripping the fabric of his sea-suit. And all the timethere was the apprehension of imminent discovery.
At last he saw Beddoes wave an arm and enter a dim cleft a few feetahead in the left side of the wall. In turn he floundered through--andjust in time. From around a bend in the corridor shortly ahead therecame two blubber-men. In only a few seconds they would pass the nichethe two humans had entered. Crowbar ready, Ken flattened himself againstthe sidewall, pulling his companion back with him. They waited.
* * * * *
The seal-men passed by--two sleek, blubbery shapes, flipper-arms andlegs weaving gracefully, bodies rolling slightly, eyes apparentlydirected ahead. Close!
They had escaped that time, but there was a disturbing thought in Ken'smind and in Beddoes' too, perhaps--as they resumed their slow-motionflight down the second corridor. "What if those two were going to visitus in the cell-chamber? Once they see the dead guard, hell sure willstart to pop!"
For a period that seemed to be measured in hours they fought their wayforward through the retarding pressure of the water. The corridordescribed a long curve. They were on the last stretch--and still nopursuit!
"If only the torp's there!" Ken kept exclaiming in his thoughts. "Justthat!"
"If only the torp's there!..." Had they come the right way? He had totrust that to the memory of Beddoes. Beddoes, whose mind had clearlybeen affected by his seven-day nightmare.... He shook his head. He darednot doubt.
They increased their pace a little. Imagination stimulated their wearymuscles. The _Narwhal_! Men of their own kind! Sun and air! Life again!Ken could have shouted when he saw his partner stop and gestureexcitedly before a dark spot in the wall. It could be nothing but theentrance to a trap.
He pressed forward, flicking on his flash and making sure by thewater-waved beam it threw. But Beddoes was attending to some sight downthe corridor; and suddenly he pointed in fright. The
first torpoonerlooked in the indicated direction and saw what was meant.
Approaching was a wave of menacing brown-skinned bodies, streamingswiftly through the passage several abreast. Their escape had beendiscovered. The blubber-men were coming.
At once Ken acted, pushing Chan into the narrow opening and scramblingafter himself. They wormed along for several feet, till they emerged ina large dark chamber at the far end of which was a big circular entrancebarred by three great pale stakes. They were certainly in a whale trap.
Rapidly Ken played his flash around, looking for the torp, but it wasnowhere visible. To one side was an out-jutting rock with a nichebeneath it. It was a promising place