The herald., 1894-02-18

painted on the bows OF their vessels
bearing down on me-the truth flashed
upon me. The pirates had taken me
for the demon of the ocean, which they
are always fearing and fighting away,
with offerings and lamentations, on
board their iunks.
A man in a diving suit-especially
fiat on his back in the water that way
was a new sight to them. l had sim
ply frightened them out of their wits.
There was my great, glittering head
of red copper, three times as large as
the head of an ordinary man. In its
front was big staring eye of plate
glass, with bright brass ring around
it. My ears were represented by two
more glass windows with sort of
barred grating over them.
Then there was my bullying breast
plate of timed copper, which helped to
carry out the impression of some fabu-
lous monster. Occasionally l kicked
my legs out of the water; they were
incased in thick black sheet india rub
her, and my feet were clad in very
thick soled boots.
My hands, protected at the wrists
with tightly fitting india rubber cuffs,
were free. They were the only portion
of my body that was visible, and the
only thing about me probably which
suggested my human character. But
no doubt they had tho effect to scare
the Cinnamon the more But for the
hands, they might have imagined | was
some sort of marine monster. Now
they were sure that was the dreadful
demon.
AS soon as [ become possessed of this
idea, | resolved to make the most of it.
l began to throw my arms wildly about,
to kick vigorously with my feet and to
roll my head from side to side.
The effect was marvellous. On the
top of another wave / could see that
the whole feet was breaking away to
starboard-and running free, straight
out into the east China sea.
Before long the whole fleet was get
ting we'll to seward and leeward of us.
1 got little more water through the
air pipe just here and had some little
difficulty in breathing, but at the same
time l felt myself pulled with a new
movement.
l guessed what was the cause of it.
The boys in our boat had ceased to give
all their attention to rowing, and for
the first time since they got under way
began to pull me in with the lifeline.
Presently, rolling over, I saw the gun
vale of the whaleboat just in front and
was hauled aboard.
1t did not take me half minute,
with George Cowles' help. TO get my
helmet off, and to breathe the open air
with deep breath.
1t was like starving man taking too
much food all at once. felt faint, but
the sight of Cowles honest face bend
ing over me revived me.
THANK God, man, you're alivel'
said he.
II was afraid" said John Reese,
whom saw next, THAT you'd saved
our lives at the expense of your own"
Did Ibid l save your lives?'
asked, still little dazed.
THAT the very thing you've done, -
said Reese. You We scared that pack
of pirates back to their dens with your
old google eye. Such sight as you
made on the water they never saw be-
fore. and they'll never forget it. You
were the demon that the cowardly dogs
are always looking for, and they turned
tail and went off with the wind, like a
flock of swiMa.''
I'VE may thank your mate here, -
one of the men spoke up, for saving
our life with yours, at the pint of his
revolver. -
But Cowles, modest and self depre-
eating, as brave men always are, pre-
tended that be did it all to save his own
life. He saw how it all would be, he
said, and he merely resolved to keep me
there for a scarecrow.
Our boys made good time with their
oars and got under the guns at the
Woosung forts before midnight. Before
daylight every box of the Pondicherry s
recovered gold was safe in the locker
of British man-of-war in Shanghai har-
Dor. Walter Bagshot in Youth Com
panion.