The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-04-18
WATCHING TIE PEARL oNsRs.
Both Rich Gems and Dangerous Enemies
Found Ia the Gulf Of California.
Fannie b. Ward IN Now York SIM

Both Rich Gems and Dangerous Enemies
Found ia the Gulf OF California;.
Fannie b. Ward IN New York sun
Our Loaf was soyen-ton affair,
manned by four oarsmen, three divers,
the cook, telegraph-rope man, and the
ladies aforesaid though the chaperone
can scarcely be included in the count.
as at the first rolling billow she
plunged into the darkest corner
Of the little cabin and re.
NAMED hidden, in tears Of terror,
during the remainder Of the day. Cur
divers were handsome, h ahogany- hucd
young fellows, but VIXEN once insile
their grQtesque arnor, with its bulging
eyes, they became OF, ,ects Of terror, the
more uEearny when seen through
twenty fathoms Of water, down among
the denizers of the deop No wonder
the sharks AVOID them and even the
black man eaters flee in dismay be ore
these CLASSY optics Imagine a stoat
siX-feoter carrying POO pounds of lis
own weight covered with forty pounds
of armorVn .his chest, twenty on his
back, plates Of iron enclosing his arms
and legs, massive helmet with great
gaping lanterns for eyes, shoes Of lead
on ms fuot+ AT least 10 po nds of metal
clothes on Him -and YOU can readily I'M
derstand why any Species of fish should
desire a more digeStlLle meal
At the spot to be searched, lchor
was cast an4 one of the divers sent out
as a scout, to- reconnoitor, and report
whether the 10 ality was rich enough to
pay fer working. over the edge of the
/ boat he scrambled, and through the
clear, greenif crystal we could watch
his downward coarse till darkening Of
the waters annoanced th.t his leaden
shoes had disturpei the soft sand OF
tho ocean iloar The telegraph man
held his wire with hand as steady as
though its ssnews were Of steel, and sew
eral moments Of hreathless az anxiety Ssiiett.y
passed before q .erking Of the ropes an-
nouncod m ssage from the under
world. A dtlitate pull, Succeeded by
two stronger ones, was the prcconcerted
signal, il or scout found the fiel 1
worth working. 80 overheard the other
two divers were tossed one climbing
hand over hand down. uranchor chain.
the other shooting head foremost to the
bottom like lump of lead.
For three long lonis We waited under
a tropic sun that S nt.its fepcest rays
upon our bllstering noses, CONSUMED
with fears for the fate of or late com.
panions who, twenty fathoms below,
were treading the toral-pav,d avenues
! ef 9 tiii rtiiiiitss city uiifrf Imagination
I peopled with mermRids and other mys.
terious crest res. SHARKS We're contin.
! uGlly prowling about in more or less
| dang rols proximity. Occasionally the
huge black back of a man eater shony
| in the sun like polished ebony, while
hundreds OF Spanish nayigators spread
their tiny sails and wiry sea gars darted
like serpents around Us.
/ At length the unseen operators tele-
Egraphed 10 10 broeg,It to tie surface,
and, being speedily hauled up, appeared
Int little exhausted by their long srb-
marine expelien O. arh had his basb et
full OF shells, but whether they ton.
tanned two OF twenty pearls, fortune
or failure, coul not be determine
till they should be opened on land il
the presence of tn, boat owner. A
coming tempest, which was afterwaId
declared by that ubi .uitoas individual,
the oldest iuhabitant, to be the terccst
that had lashed tae cali orna gulf foI
years, sent US shoreward with all posi-
ble speed, for W. had no desre to be
come fellow eitizenes es With the mer
maidens aforesa.d, however rich in III,
coveted gems Their hab.tations might bc