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"It will take every operational subot"

"Thatthe Sappho II from its station beside the Deep Fathom," Pitt said "Those

poor bastards down there will think we're deserting them"

"There's no other way," Gunn said helplessly "There's simply no other way"

Merker had lost all track of time He stared at the lulowing nu since the derrick had fallen across their buoyancy tanks, he wondered, five hours, ten, was it yesterday? His ish and confused He could only sit there withoutshallowly and slowly, each breath see a lifetime Gradually, he became aware of a movement He reached out and touched Kiel and Chavez in the darkness, but they ic stupor

Then he beca that was not where it was supposed to be His h it were immersed in syrup But at last he had it Except for the relentless rise of the water, there was no change, no sign of physical le of the Sappho II's light beah the forward viewports that had dimmed

He dropped off the bunk into the water-it cahtled toward the upper front ports and peered into the depths outside

Suddenly, his nuripped by a fear such as he had never known before His eyes widened and glazed, his hands clenched in futility and despair

"Oh Godl" he cried aloud "They're leaving us They've given us up"

Sandecker twisted the huge cigar he had just lit and continued to pace the deck The radio operator raised his hand and the admiral turned in mid-step and came up behind him

"The Sappho I reporting, sir," Curly said "She's finished positioning her charges"

"Tell her to head topside as fast as her buoyancy tanks will take her The higher she goes, the less pressure on her hull when the explosives detonate" The ad a watchful eye on the four hts were ic spots around the Titanic's superstructure "How does it look?"

"So far, so good," Pitt answered "If the Wetsteel pressure seals hold up against the concussions, we'll stand a fighting chance"

Sandecker stared at the color ireat strea a lot of air," he said

"Excess pressure escaping through the bleeder valves," Pitt said tonelessly "We switched from the electrolyte pumps back to the compressors in order to cram as much extra air as we can into the upper compartments" He paused to fine-tune a picture and then continued "The Capricorn's compressors put out ten thousand cubic feet of air an hour, so it didn't take long to raise the pressure inside the hull another ten pounds per inch, just enough to pop the bleeder valves"