IwasinJimmyGoggles，allexceptthehelmet。’Easy，’saysAlways，’there’shermast。’AndafterI’dhadjustonesquintoverthegunwale，IcaughtupthebogeyandalmosttippedoutasoldSandersbroughttheboatround。Whenthewindowswerescrewedandeverythingwasallright，Ishutthevalvefromtheairbeltinordertohelpmysinking，andjumpedoverboard，feetforemost——forwehadn’taladder。Ilefttheboatpitching，andallofthemstaringdownintothewaterafterme，asmyheadsankdownintotheweedsandblacknessthatlayaboutthemast。Isupposenobody，notthemostcautiouschapintheworld，wouldhavebotheredaboutalookoutatsuchadesolateplace。Itstunkofsolitude。
“OfcourseyoumustunderstandthatIwasagreenhornatdiving。
Noneofusweredivers。We’dhadtomuckaboutwiththethingtogetthewayofit，andthiswasthefirsttimeI’dbeendeep。Itfeelsdamnable。Yourearshurtbeastly。Idon’tknowifyou’veeverhurtyourselfyawningorsneezing，butittakesyoulikethat，onlytentimesworse。Andapainovertheeyebrowshere——splitting——andafeelinglikeinfluenzainthehead。Anditisn’tallheaveninyourlungsandthings。Andgoingdownfeelslikethebeginningofalift，onlyitkeepson。Andyoucan’tturnyourheadtoseewhat’saboveyou，andyoucan’tgetafairsquintatwhat’shappeningtoyourfeetwithoutbendingdownsomethingpainful。Andbeingdeepitwasdark，letalonetheblacknessoftheashesandmudthatformedthebottom。
Itwaslikegoingdownoutofthedawnbackintothenight，sotospeak。
“Themastcameuplikeaghostoutoftheblack，andthenalotoffishes，andthenalotofflappingredseaweed，andthenwhackIcamewithakindofdullbangonthedeckoftheOceanPioneer，andthefishesthathadbeenfeedingonthedeadroseaboutmelikeaswarmoffliesfromroadstuffinsummertime。Iturnedonthecompressedairagain——forthesuitwasabitthickandmackintosheryafterall，inspiteoftherum——andstoodrecoveringmyself。Itstruckcoolishdownthere，andthathelpedtakeoffthestuffinessabit。