The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1897-05-28

quietly inspected, you understand?
After that-the cargo. Got an outfit?
Then wen see to that Come in here,
will you? hardly know what I'm
about
"lt seems past believing, one way and
another. left that office, mates, with
my full Instructions and couple Of
sinners as well. and just sailed home on
dir. And, would anyone believe IT.,
when Id blurted out the mornings tale
to Jess, she hangs round my neck
didn't want me to do it'll There's II
woman all over for you'll can see her
poor, pinched face, white and gloomer-
Gus as anything-just as If it was
against my shoulder this very minute.
But, there, mustn't talk-I came nigh
never seeing it again in this world.
Dead to the mifsnte was down ut
the docks next morning, ready foi any
thing. Lacy Truman-he'd been on his
feet all night, could tell-had made all
the arrangements, and he meant BUSH
ness. So did the other party, It was
plain. Saunders and I, it was agreed.
were to go down together and report
afterwards. They'd hired small cut
ter between them, and appeared to be
friendly enough on the outside; but
there was something In the air right
enough. Oh, ayel
well, the moment the tide had
turned, off we started, with the salvage
boat and dozen others after Us, to see
what there might be to see. KNEW Mr..
Lacy had an idea the other party meant
to hamper us If possible, but It didn't
appear so: in less than an hour they'd
made the spot. Saunders and some Of
the Witch's crew were straining their
eyes over the side.
"'There she lies, mates, In ten
fathoms. or I'm Dutchman,' he says,
quietly. to me. Can we go the depth
Right; nothing like pluck, chi Well
soon know all about her cargo now. Get
your things on
Down below goes, and was ready as
soon as he. Course, being what he was,
he had the sheer of me the minute he
knew was no expert; but he seemed
affabe enough, and even little friend
~. Just before we stuck our headgear
on. and Mr.. Truman was seeing my tube
extra fast to the pumper. he pulls out a
brandy bottle and offers me mouthful
offhand. had 1T to my lips when some
how caught his eyes, and that man
we'll, he flinched.
"'Have some yourself says l, hand.
ing it back.
~ always do-well, no, l won't just
yet he SAYS, with laugh, and losses
the bottle overheard.
II couldn't quite get the grip of that.
and perhaps it was this action that gave
me nasty. sinking sensation when !
stood ready, with the helmet on and 81
pounds of solid lead on my boots.
watching him go down the ladder. and
coolly slide into that green ten fathoms.
It was lot over my old dock depths,
and l felt bit dreamy, SO to speak.
when heard the engine start pumping
away for me- But there it was-I had
no notion of backing out then. Down
stepped, let myself go, and knew not a
thing more till found myself standing
still on the bottom, dizzy with the
depth, sick after the suspense, and with
noise in my head as if hundred
Threats had started screeching. That
lasted about half minute; then
pulled myself together, took another
kink Of the lifeline. and kcnw was all
right for Lacy Truman's job.
ssyVharo tone Sa,pderso
II looked round. 1t wasn't like har-
Dor water-you could see as well as
looking at daylight through thick
glasses; and there was he, standing a
few yards off, flashing his diving-lamp
ahead. We'd tumbled on bed of sand
white as snow. could make out mighty
worms and shellfish crawling over it
everything looks twice its size at that
depth-and great castles of rock here
and there, with sea-creepers swaying
about something lovely, and shoals of
small fish zig-zagging in and out like
silver spear-points; but ne'er a sign OF
our ship. Then presently saw Saund-
ers shaking his light and pointing. He'd
located it straight away. with his ex-
perience.
after him goes for about, ! should
reckon, so or 60 yards, over Shiny hill
ocks and down bits Of valley-and there
was the Witch. lying three parts over
on bit of rising ground. her mainmast
pointing down at our heads--a sad
enough sight. Saunders, he was up to
her deck-rail in jiffy, got his Crap
pling-hook over it, and had climbed over
before I could take 1t in. When fol-
lowed stopped halfway. because felt
the timbers shaking, and could almost
| swear there was the dull sound Of an AK
hacking away like fury. just waited,
and presently he comes clambering
hack, to put his helmet against mine;
and there was splinter of wood stick
ing to his AK; and he was painting.
"'Eotten, mattel A three-foot leak in
the outer hold was what he shouted.
'Hatches blocked, I'm afraid. Wen have
to come down again and blow hole in
her side to get at The silk. Got your
line? Say whep!'
| "'Half q minute!' / shouted back,
| Perhaps he thought Id had enough OF
il, and reckoned should be glad to take
his word for everything. AS it was. be-
ing afraid to go too near the rigging,
walked round by the forepeak as
smart as I could, swung myself up To
the keel-board, and crawled along there,
feeling and hooking both sides for the
hole he had made 1t his business to
hack.
IT couldn't find It. but found some
thing else that made the blood Jingle in
me very queerly. l hadn't really ex-
bected it, and only the sheerest bit od
luck could have put it in my way by that
light; but there, a couple Of yards UP the
side of the forehold. were three big
splintered holes, that nothing but an
auger had worked through. / made
quite sure of that, got my nerves set
and turned to crawl back; and there
was Saunders STOPPING behind me. And
was fool enough to take hold Of his
fingers and plug them in the holes. tc
make him feel the inside smoothness.
'He seemed startled himself. and
| htl-sA 49, - ,,,,~,3 All ma hod Olarnfnre