The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-29
CHAPTER V.


IAN Englishman ought 10 be as clever as
a niger" / said as | undreSsed, and |
stopped and picked up one OF the stones aud
gazed down into the deep water Seems a
mad thing to do" / muttered; and then
feeling that If / hesitated / should fall |
took my leap, struck the water with a ire
mendOus splash, and then went down like
an arrow, lower and lower, till quite in dis
NAV | unclasped my hands from the stone
and rose rapidly to the surface. TITS easy
enough, / thought, as my head shotinto the
sunshine; and, climbing ba X. | took the
other stone, c0ntriyiDg TO glide of from
close 10 the surface with the weight nipped
between my knees.
This time / went down feet first till the
water began to grow dark. when the stone
slipped, and | again shot up, rather breath
less, but encouraged by my success. | tried
that experiment for half a dozen times
more and continued it for week. morning
after morning, providing myself now with
short lengths of line TO tie round the stones
TO form handle, and practlcing till | could
seize stone. plunge In with it, and let it
drag me rapidly TO the bottom. where !
lU0sened my grasp after trying how long |
could stay; and toward the last, after find
ing that l could easily stay down minute.
| always rose with some small stones or a
handful Of pebbles from the bottom.
Il can go east and turn pearl-diver
now" l said, I'll everything else falls and
quite satisfied with the confidence acquired
by my skill in diving, l prepared one night
for venture which rather chilled me as
the time approached.
1t was a mad plan. and l knew It, felt
that | WAS quite mOn0mauiac; but | WIS
blndly determined, and one night found
me, lantern-armed, and provided with
matches. shut up in the well-hOuse.
had stolen out about /, with every nerve
strung TO the highest pitch, and horrible
feeling Of dread sending a shiver through
! me- but | honestly believe that, il at that
moment the danger OF my task had been
twice a great the bulldog obstinacy within
me would have aTrled me through.
But the danger was great enough. | well
| knew, as ! set down on the humid floor the
load | had brought and then liz the lantern
and placed it on the framework Of the great
winch. Then lighting piece Of wax can
die, | fixed that on the other side Of the
well by letting little Of the wax drip GU
the stout rail.
so far, so good" said TO myself. as l
resOutely drove back horrible suggestions,
set my teeth, and threw off the ulster wore,
to stand ready In an old football jersey and
drawers.
| had thought out my plans to the small
est mlnuti8, and made all my calculations;
so that, feeling that my only chance for car
rying out my task successfully was by going
straight on without hesitation. | raised the
load / had brought one by one-a couple of
56-pound weights-and after seeing that the
stop was in the winch, placed them ready in
one Of the buckets which had drawn I'D
level with the Grail. Then, faster ming a string
to tie lantern | lowered it down till it was
about five feet from the water, fastened the
string and taking out the stop. let the first
bucket run down with the weights till
heard IL kiss the water with a hollow, echo
ing splash. As the sound arose | thrust the
stop into the cOgs of the winch once more,
and the bucket was stopped, az | could see,
half In the water.
The next task was perllous. but nothing |
felt to what was TO come, as mounting the
rail- and climbing out on the apparatus, |
seized one rope, reaching out, caught the
other twisted my leg round, hung for mo-
ment over the shaft which looked, If any
thing, more horrible from the deep light be-
low. and let myself glide down rapidly.
II was the task of very few moments,
but long enough for me TO be attacked by
thoughts such as-Supp0Se the rope broke
suppose the air was foul down bel0w-sup-
pose | could not get back TO the surface
answers to which came at once, for [ knew
that the rope would bear double my weight:
that the lantern would not have burned ih
foul air and that as to returning | had but
TO stand in the bucket when | reached 1t and
draw myself up by hauling the other rope
NO--impossible; | had fixed the machinery
with the stop. The thought unnerved me
for the moment aud then ! laughed, as
recalled how often ! had climbed rope
Then | was level with the swinging lantern.
my feet touched the water close by the
partly submerged lower wheel, and
checked myself TO feel about and find, as |
had anticipated, broad resting place Just
below the surface, composed Of slippery
crossbea
Here | stopped for few moments think
Ing-not hestatng-as to which side |
should descend. And now in spite of the
logged courage within me, | felt in full
force the terrible risk 1 was about TO run.
1t was one thing TO plunge down into the
In broad daylight hf,Id
those powders, another to take 56-pound
weight from that bucket close by me, plant
it by me on the beam, thrust my foot
through the ring right up to my instep, and
then lower myself off and let that sight
drag me down into those horrible cold.
black depths.
shuddered with the shock OF dread " hch
ran through me, and then swapping my
teeth together like an angry dog. l uttered
a low laugh. which started me again, as in
my desperate fit ] said:
Bah what poor soldier / should have
made Common workmen 60 through such
risks every day as matter OF course. The
Jewels or -"
l did not finish my sentence. but bent
down as held on by the rope. and took one
Of the weights out Of the bucket close by
me; the water washing about aud whshing
against the Shiny walls as if it were swarm
ing with live creatures, disturbed by nv
coming, and ascending rapidly from tina
uepths 10 dttSck the intruder upon their
home.
My foot glided along over the oaken
beam on which | stood but held on by
the rope and recovered myself, planted the
weight down in the water by my feet, and
holding up the ring thrust my right foot
through close up to the instep.
THAT will do, thought, as | raised nv
toes, feeling that IL | descended carefully Il
could not slip off till l lowered the fore mart
Of my foot. Now. lad, no SILLY faneies," |
muttered. "A lew long bTeaths, then one
deep inhalation; down you go rapidly: then
feel about Tor minute and half, find the
package, slip your foot out OF the ripp-nn
you will be holding it then-keep vonr
hands over your head in case you come mn
under the beam. and then hurrah for to-
morrow"
1t was a childish way of addressing nv
self. perhaps. but felt bound to treat the
matter lightly, so as to cloak the peril from
my too active brain.
Ready ?" l said, as / kept on breathing
slowly and deeply, preparatory to taking
the long, deep, lasting breath.
Yes" l said, mentally, and changing nv
hold TO the other rope, was about To lower
myself into sitting position on the beam.
drawing that deep breath the while. when
like lightning, came the thought, ''Suppose
Ii 10 your last!' for thrill shot down NV
left arm right to my heart, and | spranr
back 10 my erect position wondering as the
thrill went on.
We're my muscles quivering like that?
No; IL was the rope which [ held in NV
hand. literally throbbing. looked up, and