Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-11-28
PRICE ONE CENT.

rocks. with her ropes ana timbcrs in
good condition, though covered with
she'll fish,. saw with disappointment
that to get at her cargo was going "a
be very difficult II not impossible.
Tn that brief space at the bottom
Of the ocean realized as never hs
before the ineongrmty Of man gei
ting out Of his natural place, and
feeling of awful utter loneliness came
over me as | stood almost hnndvf
feet below the surface of that gree
mysterious sea, Inhabited by knew
not how great monsters. surromde.'
by unlimited waters, alone but for the
little fishes that floated here and
there, and marine crustacea on the
bottom.
| had struck the wreck right near
the hold, which opened before me
and whose gloom was blacknoss in
that dim, unearthly light. This ac-
count may be rather long of the feel
ings OF a man submerged in water,
but my thoughts moved rapidly. and
in reality l had been down perhaps
but half a minute. But already /
was oppressed by the heavy suffocat-
ing feeling which warned me | must
rise, and the pressure on my head
and chest was so painful that the
former began to ache as If il would
burst, while the indescribable hum
ming mmsaur Of the water became
louder and louder.
"I looked up, and right over my
head saw shape descending toward
me. | recognized the Spaniard who
it seems had plunged immediately
after me, and by this time was right
upon me. lie had graSped the heavy
weight between his knees, and with
both free arms was directing his way.
Our eyes met. In his | seemed TO
read fierce, undying hatred, the I'M
relenting purpose of revenge, and "a
cruel triumph. of which, indeed.
there seemed the certainty. | dropped
the weight to rise but those sinewy
arms were. around me. and with my
failing strength | was forced down
on my back on the rocky bottom. It
would be but a minute. My breath
was spent, while the trained diver yet
was fresh.
The low murmuring Of the waters
in my ears rose TO mighty roar. My
head seemed bound by crown of
burning fire, and my staring eyes
caught the last malignant glare as my
murderer held me down ut arms
length and watched my dying agonies.
But from the blackness of the hold
before my eyes shot out three long,
hideOus, grasping arms like writhing
serpents. One waved about as II
cropping blindly; one fastened on my
ankle, and even on the verge of death
I felt with shudder that cold, Shiny
grasp. soft and yielding, but strong
as iron fetters.
"The third wound twice about the
Spaniard's neck, and his weight was
lifted from my body. He struggled
like a demon against his sure and
awful fate. Tie wavefing, grasping
arm. found hold about his. waist,
and feeling Of thankfulness tn
Providence came to my heart as the
third relinquished its grasp on my
leg, and, winding with a death grip
on the Spaniard, broke his last hold
on a spar of the old vessel and drew
him down into that gfaye-like blaek-
ness.
Before the second Of my release
was over ] was far above the bottom
of the sea shooting toward the sur
face. They drew me in as | h0ated
insensible on the water, In an hour
could speak, and told the story Of
that tragedy.
My trip had shown that we could
get little or no goods from the wreck.
even had it been free from such a ter
rible guardian, and the Malay refused
to dive anywhere in its vicinity, while
as for me all the riches that lie be-
meath the ocean would not tempt me
to take that plunge again. In short
time we drew up the anchor and bore
away upon the sea; away from the
sunken ship, now undisputcd booty
of the waves away from the grave
of an unhappy wretch, whose mur-
derous effort for revenge cost him
his life in the grasp Of devil fish,