Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1894-10-18

balios il arm, turn wrecNers on tins
coast. IIoTeyCc, u GlG-1, X r-@ls
You'll do is we'll - en clGcr. Ca yon
diyet"
"Cf course c2A,, sir, answered Grit
promptly.
Are you afraid Of sharks:'
Il should say not" was the con-
temptuous answer.
well, my men are, and cunt even
swim, much less dive" continued the
captain, "but l want diver to go down
and tell me just how my ship lies.
have q plan that I am anxious to try, If
things are as think. If you'll help mo
carry it out, I'll give you $500 for IN
hours work, provided we get this ship
off within that time. Is it bargain?"
''Put 1t in writing and have it wit
messed, cap'n," replied the cautious
Grit, land I'll sign the paper. 1t only
holds for ono hour, though. Then. If
you're not afoat, Well make q new
bargain, aud If she's to be lightened
I'm to be wreckmaster and take charge,
cause mino Is tho first schooner here.
Is that right?''
Eyes, that's right" smiled the cap
tain grimly. II reckon you've taken
part in wrecks before?"
"a few" laughed Grit.
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 dived from the bows OF
tho schooner and was gone nearly a
minute. Then he came up for breath
and almost Immediately dived again. He
repeated this operation four times with
out telling what he had discovered.
Meanwhile the passengers and crew of
the steamship crowded the rail, and
leaning over watched his operations
with breathless interest.
Finally the young diver clambered
aboard and related to the captain that
his ship had struck, we'll forward, on a
narrow ledge with deep water on both
sides, and that she was afoat, with tho
exception Of space 10 feet long near
her bow.
THAT is just about what gathered
from soundings," replied the captain
"Now, I want you to go down again,
taking lead line with you, and locate
some good sized hole or crevice as near
the bottom Of the lodge as you can get.
Leave the lead behind to mark the spot
where you como up"
Grit wondered at this strange order,
but did as directed, and after several
descents into the clear water finally To-
Gated deep fissure nearly 20 feet be-
meath the surface.
us the holo large enough to hold
this!" asked the captain when the young
wrecker again came on board tho schoon-
er. AS he spoke tho former held out q
square tin canister to which was at
tached reel of slender copper wire.
eyes, SIR" replied tho boy. "It's big
enough to hold me. I"
Every good. Now, if you will 60
down once more taking this can with
you, and thrust it as far as possible into
the hole. will not ask you to go into
the water again."
Grit cast a curious glance at the cap.
tains face to sec if he could detect any
indication of madness, but the only
signs he discovered were of perfect in
telligence and an indomitable will.
Still, as the boy again stepped over tho
side ready to descend into the crystal
depths and the canister was handed to
him, his suspicion Of the captains san
ity was revived by the latter's parting
instructions.
''Take care Of this can as you would
Of your own life," no said earnestly.
don let it hit against anything, and
place it gently as far In tho crevice as
you can reach. It holds your life and
fortune as we'll as mine"
These words were so strange, and the
whole business was so different from
the usual proceedings in connection
with q 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
instructions, and when he regained the
schooner's deck he found 1t occupied by
all the passengers Of the stranded steam
ship.
''Take them of on q five minutes
cruise" ordered the captain as with
his own hands he cast off the lines
holding the schooner. Then he swung
himself up tho steamships side and dis
appeared in his own cabin.
At the end Of five minutes the Poly
anthus was nearly quarter Of a mile
away, and her young skipper, who was
trying to answer hundred questions at
once from the bewildered passengers,
was also wondering what he should do
next All at once it was noticed that the
propeller Of tho great ship was working
furiously backward.
Then came the most surprising thing
that has ever happened in all the annals
Of wrecking on the Florida reefs. There
was heavy vibratory explosion, &C.
companied by. a muffled roar. To those
who happened to be looking toward the
ship at that moment she seemed to be
lifted bodily from the water. The next
instant she was enveloped and hidden
from view in vast, fountainlike col
umn of foam. Directly afterward the
ship rcappeared 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
Polyanthus again picked up her moor
ings off the glistcning coral beach, and
the young wreckers made their way to
the little house beneath the cocoanuts,
in which their stepmother, as yet un-
conscious of their return, sat nearly dis
tracted by sudden accumulation of
troubles. She was wild with anxiety
over Grit and Matey. A man had come