Terry froze for an instant. There had simply been no time for him to think that Deirdre might be aboard. It was inexcusable, but nothing could be done now. Tony had been knocked overside by the shock of the contact with the giant, and was swimming desperately trying to follow the yacht and climb back on board. Terry flashed the searchlight about. He found Tony, splashing. The _Esperance_ swung in her own length while Terry kept the searchlight beam focused. More shrieks came from _La Rubia_. Davis threw a rope and Tony caught it. They hauled him aboard, and the _Esperance_ turned again to pluck away the trawler's crewmen. There were unbelievable splashings off to port. Terry flung the lightbeam in that direction. It fell upon unimaginable conflict. The monster that had passed under the yacht now battled the wounded squid. They fought on the surface, horribly. A maze of intertwining tentacles glistened in the light, and their revolting bodies appeared now and again as the battered creature fought to protect itself, and the other to devour. Other enormous squids came hurrying to the scene. They flung themselves into the gruesome fight, tearing at the dying monster and at each other. There were still others on the way.... The sea resounded with desperate mooing sounds. The _Esperance_ bumped against _La Rubia_. Frantic, hysterically frightened men clambered up from the deck of the sinking trawler to the yacht. As soon as they were aboard they implored their rescuers to head for land, immediately. "Get 'em all off!" bellowed Terry, in command by simple virtue of having clear ideas of what had to be done. "Get 'em all off!" The stout skipper of _La Rubia_ jumped over the yacht's rail. Without orders, the yacht's engine bellowed. The _Esperance_ turned toward the shore, which now seemed very far away. Something splashed to starboard. The sea glowed all around it. Terry poured the pain-sound exactly in that direction. The monster went into convulsions. The yacht swerved away to keep its distance. She raced on, past the spot where the giant flailed its tentacles insanely about. It mooed. The _Esperance_ raced at full speed toward the island. About a mile ahead, the surf roared and foamed on the coral reef almost awash. Back at the scene of the battle of monsters, there was a sudden break in the conflict. One of the wounded giants broke free. It may have been the one the _Esperance_ had first attacked; perhaps it was another, which might have been partly devoured while still fighting.