It was that thought that brought him to himself.
With a last mad burst of strength he broke the girl’s hold, and then they went mounting toward the surface.
Up, up, up from the dark blue shadows, which now seemed filled with horrible shapes, they mounted. Out from those shadows reached long, crooked arms with hands that tried to clutch them and drag them down again.
For the first time in his life Frank felt like shrieking with fear. A great horror was on him, and it made him frantic.
He saw bubble eyes that peered and glared at him from all sides, and shapeless forms hovered all around.
With all his strength he strove to reach the surface.
Up from the blue depths into the yellow sunlight he mounted, still clinging to the girl. Up from the yellow sunlight till their heads arose above the waves with a sudden splurge.
Frank coughed and strangled, ejecting salt water from his mouth.
He held the helpless, unstruggling girl in his arms, but he gave her little attention till he had raised not a little of the salt water that seemed to have gone down his throat.
Then Frank turned on his back, with the head of the girl resting on his breast and shoulder, and floated thus.