The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-15

Good. We're on our way to the Mid-Ocean Club, and that's an hours drive"
 So beyond the water tower, Oba- diah turned out of the channel and headed straight across the harbor. To their left, the buoy sounded its warning toll.
 Dick settled back, slipped his arm through Joyce's. He felt her shiver.
 'Cold?" he asked solicitously.
 She shook her head. "No-not very. I guess I'm araid of the dark"
 He laughed. "You could swim this mile and a half without talk ing long breath ."
 Tn the daytime, perhaps"
 "The waters no different at night"
 T don't mind the water. But in the darkness think of the hor- rible things that Turk beneath the surface - sharks and barracuda"
 There's nothing like that in these waters He called on Oba- diah for confirmation. "You never have sharks here, do you?"
 The Negro nodded. "Yassah, we do Now and again. Folks say dey ain't man-eaters. What we do have - and what we doan like - is devilfish. Dey's bad, suhw
 Devilfish. That was the same as an octopus. Joyce, shivering, felt dicks grip tighten on her arm. Don't talk like that, Oba- diah. You'll scare us"
 Suddenly their pilot throttled the engine down; swerved the boat quickly. "Comin' close to a reef" he said, pointing out a dark patch to the right. Its low tide now"
 They proceeded cautiously, skirt ing the reef which projected above the water for length of 10 or 12 feet Then, out in open water once more, he let the engine out. Hamil- ton was still almost mile off, and around a sharp peninsula, the Elm press was out of sight.
 We're almost there," Dick said, reassuringly. well be at Mid- Ocean,
 There was a jerk, terrific grating, and in that instant Joyce felt icy water surging Up to her ankles.
 Obadiah cried out piteously "Wese struck, boss! Wese struck!"
 Now the water was pouring into the boat it's bottom ripped wide open. Dick had Joyce in his arms.
 Well have to swim," he said quickly. Back to that small reef we just passed. Don't be afraid, Joyce" He pushed her, gently but surely, over the edge of the boat and into the water. Come on, Obadiah. To the big reef"
 
 Now the three of them were in the water, and Dick was swimming ahead, hoping to see the darker out line they had passed by moment before. In the blackness it was practically invisible. Joyce and the colored man swam after him, close | at his heels. The current, she not | iced, was running strongly against them.
 Strangely, now that the worst | had happened, she was no longer i afraid. The one misery which | loomed above all others was that her lovely white dress, with the | glamorouS feather sleeves, was completely and unalterably ruined!
 And Obadiah, fighting his way | alongside of her, moaned sorrow fully each time he took breath. Nah boat! Gawdalmight, save nah boat"
 Ahead of them, Dick cried out: Here's the reef. Straight ahead" Then he turned back to the others guiding them to it.
 A moment later they were standing on it, three lone, be- draggled figures in an open eX- panse of black water.
 Dick looked down at the sorry figure of Joyce. Even in the darkness he could see the ostrich feathers clinging to her wet arms. She looked for all the world like a poor poodle dog picked out of flood. "You poor kid" he said contritely, q got you into this."
 He still wore his white tie and tails; in his anxiety to get back to this reef he had not even slipped off his coat.
 "We'll have to shout. Obadiah. We'll have to shout with all our lungs, so one of the other boats will pick us up. It's too long a swim to Hamilton, and we