long faces disappeared immediately.

Maybe it was the late hour, the interminably long wait or the glare of the cameras that was responsible, but a decidedly depressed air enveloped the press pool and other interested parties waiting for word on how the referendum vote went.

However, as soon as Registrar General Mrs. Marlene Christopher emerged from the interior of the Wesley Methodist Church with the vote results in her hand, the malaise dissipated.

One by one reporters scrambled over each other trying to get the closest and best position to hear the word.

But the announcement of an overwhelming no vote did little to alleviate the concerns of PLP member Mr. Alex Scott or UBP backbenchers Trevor Moniz and Ann Cartwright DeCouto.

Once they had the figures in hand they proceeded to check the arithmetic not once, not twice, but three times.

The look on their faces said it all...R-E-L-I-E-F.

*** Bermuda's Independence debate was reflected everywhere -- on the pages of The Royal Gazette , on radio and television, on buttons and in graffiti, even on telephone answering machines.

Mr. Colin Curtis, chairman of the anti-Independence Bermuda First Committee, developed a unique way of screening his calls.

"I am sorry that I'm not here to take your call,'' Mr. Curtis said. "But if you'll leave your name, telephone number, and an assurance that you plan to vote `no' on August 15, I shall make every attempt to call you back.'' *** Wednesday's referendum had all the ingredients of a good yarn; tension, protagonists, antagonists and a horde of overworked journalists scampering for the latest lead to feed a starved public.

But as the night drew on and information became more sketchy members of the electronic media could be found pulling out their hair as they tried to keep the public informed.

Take for example seasoned newshounds Brian Darby of VSB and Jim Mckey of ZBM.

Faced with a lull in the proceedings both men cast furtive glances about themselves then gravitated toward each other, desperation etched deep upon their faces.

With microphones primed and an eager audience clambering for the newest developments, the veterans switched gears and proceeded to interview one another! GIVE ME THAT AGAIN -- PLP MP Mr. Alex Scott enters the referendum results into his pocket calculator to check the math after the announcement of a `no' vote last week. Anti-Independence campaigners Mr. Trevor Moniz and the Hon. Ann Cartwright DeCouto then proceeded to recheck his calculations -- just to be sure!