The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-06-27
."'In the midst of this exhilaratina

''In the midst of this exhilaratin4
squirt 1pulled up suddenly. Nli
'As If it had instantly materialized
from the sea water, was face to face
with gigantic shark. quickly re-
membered, however, that while naked
native divers are occasionally devoured
by these demons of the deep, they
never attack the 5armored diver. 4.
"Indeed fancy now that the shark
was quite as startled as the diver, for
after second he wheeled and glided
off to one side. I'D,
''As started on once more I was
stopped q second time, not by an OBJ
stacle before, but by a sharp pull on
the air pipe behind my helmet, which
jerked me over sprawling on my back.
"My first thought was that the shark
had attacked me in the rear, but on
scrambling to my feet and facing about
saw that the air.pipe, which, in my
first sudden stop, had probably slack
ened till it lay on the bottom, was up
parently caught against some protrud-
ing object.
Il fastened back to release it. when,
to my surprise, found it held fast be-
tween the shells of giant clam.
II gave the stout wire-lined tubing a
twitch, then strong pull, bracing my
feet against the great biTalve: Then
clutched the rims of the shell and
strove to separat them.
But the vise-like jaws were relent-
less. AS easily might have rended
a granite ledge at some seam in its
center.
Then turned to the lifeline to sig
nal the tender in the boat. AS did.so
saw that it, too, had become slack,
and was tangled in branching coral.
dashed forward to discnGagc it, but
before Preached it was again ttvitched
backward by the air-pipc.
'Then, for the first time, realized
the full significance of the situation.
My air supply was stopped, communi-
cation with the upper world cut off,
and l, Jack Ballantine, in all the vigor
of young manhood, chained to my
death at the bottom of Torres strait
And now a sudden sense OF suHoca-
ton warned me that my struggle was
limited to seconds.
I'm a flash of memory recalled the
tale of one like disaster, where the
diver cut his air-tube with dash freed
his lifeline, and was drawn up half
dead. But had no knife; in that sud-
den backward fall had lost hold Of it.
''Then, as lifted my eyes in last
despairing search for succor, beheld,
resting in the branching coral before
me-and to this day l marvel at the
miracle of tan iron bar, pointed at
one end-a veritable crowbar.
''In an instant I was prying at TIE
jaws Of tho giant clam, with the lever
age of the bar and the strength Of des-
peration. For suffocating moment
the struggle was unava ling, then one
rim split away and the pipe was free.
II turned toward the lifeline, stag
gered and fell across it, insensible! :
II suppose the weight of my falling
body gave the line the one jerk which
was the signal to the tender to pull
up Anyway the tender got the sig
nal, and the next I knew was lying
on the deck of the lugger, the old Nam
tucketer on his knees at my side, and
all the scared crew standing about"
''Truly most extraordinary tale, as
we'll as a terrible experience" I ex-
claimed, as Ballantine ended his story,
and the waiter brought on the dessert.
''That crowbar, for instance, is a strain
on an everyday businessman's creduli-
ty," and looked past my friends face
to the bronze face of Franklin across
the street.
."And yet it is only another instance
of truth stranger than felton," assert
ed Ballantine. :'Why, the first time
the old Nantucketer have mentioned
went down, on recovering from the
daze of sudden descent, he saw in a
crotch of the coral before him bottle
of pale ale, and if beer, why not a
owbar?"-Boston Globe.