The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-06-07

| that time Is it bargain?''
Put it in writing and have it wit
messed, cap'n," replied cautious Grit,
land I'll sign the paper. lt.only holds
for one hour, though. Then if you're
not afoat we'll make a new bargain,
and if she's to be lightened Pm to be
wreckmaster and take charge, cause
mine is the first schooner here. Is that
right?"
Yes, that's right smiled the cap
tain grimly. 81 reckon you've taken
part in wrecks before"
By the time the paper was made out,
and handed to Matey for safe keeping,
Grit was ready to perform his share of
the bargain.
He dove from the bows of the schoon-
er and was gone nearly minute.
Then he came up for breath, and al
most Immediately dove again.
He repeated this operation four times
without telling what he had discov-
cred. Meanwhile the passengers and
crew of the steamer crowded her rail
and, leaning far over, watched his OPP
erations with breathless interest.
Finally the young diver clambered
aboard and related to the captain that
his ship had struck, well forward, on a
narrow ledge with deep water on both
sides, and that she was afoat, with the
exception of spa e about ten feet long
near her bows
That is just about what gathered
from soundings,' replied the captain.
Now, | want you to 60 down again,
taking a lead line with you, and locate
some good-sized hole or crevice as near
the bottom of the ledge as you can get.
Leave the lead behind to mark the spot
where you come up"
| Grit wondered at this strange order,
but did as directed, and after several
descents into the clear waters, finally
located deep assure nearly twenty feet
beneath the surface.
rs the hole large enough to hold
this?" asked the captain when the
young wrecker again came on board
the schooner. AS he spoke the former
held out square tin canister to which
was attached a reel of slender copper
wire.
Eyes, SIR" replied the boy. Its big
| enough TO nOld me.
Very good. Now if you will 90
down once more, taking this can with
you, and thrust it as far as possible into
that hole, l will not ask you to go into
the water again"
Take care of this can as you would
of your own life" he said, earnestly.
Don't let it hit against anything, and
place it gently as far in the crevice as
you can reach. "
These words were so strange and the
whole business was so different from
the usual proceedings in connection
with wrecked ship that even as Grit
worked at his novel task, far beneath
the blue surface, the one thought that
filled his mind was: "He is as crazy as
crazy can be-"
However, he carried out his instruc-
tons, and when he regained the
schooner's deck found il occupied by
all the passengers of the stranGsd
steamer.
Take them off on a five minutes
cruise" ordered the captain, as with his
own hands he cast off the lines hold
| ing the schooner.
At the end of five minutes the Poly
anthus was nearly quarter of mile
away, and her young skipper, who was
trying to answer hundred questions
ut once from the bewildered passengers,
was also wondering what he should do
next
| All at once it was noticed that the
propeller of the great ship was work
ing furiously backwards.
Then came the most surprising thing
that has ever happened in all the an
uals of wreckiDg on the Florida reefs.
| There was heavy vibratory explosion,
accompanied by a muffied roar.
| To those who happened to be looking
toward the ship at that time she seemed
to be bodily lifted from the water. The
next instant she was enveloped and
hidden from view IN vast, foun tain
like column of foam,
| Directly afterward the ship reap
peared, floating as steadily as ever in
her life on the great pillows of the
mysterious submarine disturbance, and
running rapidly backward.
Late that afternoon the schooner
| olS Oil vi Gill PiShCSi up lhooi-
ings off the glistening coral beach and
the young wreckers made their way to
the little house beneath the cocoanuts
in which their stepmother, as yet I'M
conscious of their return, sat nearly
distracted by sudden accumulation of
troubles.
She was wild with anxiety over Grit
and Matey. A man had come from
Key West to look at the Polyanthus
with a view to purchasing her, blu
finding her absent and being pressed
for time had gone away again.
He had, moreover, left behind him a
lie tier from the northern commission
house to which Mrs. Albury had sent
her tomatoes, stating that the entire
shipment had arrived spoiled and I'M
salable, so that instead of being en-.
titled to returns from them she was in.
debted for freight charges.
Grit and Matey rushed in alive, well
and breathless with excitement.
"Hurrah, motherp' cried the former.
as he wildly waved a slip of paper
above his head; we've got your fish,
and only stayed out little longer to
give the old Poly chance to earn this
five hundred dollars, just to show you