The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-03-20

anu I am OcOIulSn myseI; anu at one
time and another the pair of us put in a
fairish deal of talk His airpump needed
bit of an overhaul, and as | was set on
to help him, we had plenty of opportunity,
But L Il not say we got much off general
topics. He seemed a man in desperate
hurry to get rich, and most every day he d
ask me if | could point him out a plan
But my answer to him was always the
same.
"Man," I'd say, "T not be acting as
third engineer on an odd job steamboat
like this if L plan handy to my fingers
such as you want -
And then he shake his head and sigh
and fall to talking about the methods by
which he and his mate hoped to get the
gold boxes out of the wreck and down into
the Cleaners hold. suppose l ought to
have seen what he was after then But
[ didn't. L d only got it in mind that he
wanted to marry Miss Bradbury, and
didn't see his way to lingering enough
ready money to set up housekeeping
upon.
We'd an easy bay and good run down,
and we made Grand Canary one morning
just before the dawn. We ran into Les
Palmas harbor and saw Teneriffe far away
across the sand neck, with It's sunny head,
rosy in the sunrise We'd day there
making arrangements and getting in some
stores, and then we steamed out again and
made for the spot where the Corinth had
gone down, and brought up to an anchor
and lowered fires
Before us lay the open sea; behind were
the dry cinder hills of Grand Canary, and
above was blue heaven and sun Of dane
ing brass The day was frizzling; the is
land gave us lee cut of the southeast
trade, and there was no breath of wind
astir. The water lay like sheet of met
al No divers could have asked for a
better prospect. We got their two boats
into the water, each with ar pump, rowers,
coxswain, man to tend the life-lines, and
men to pump, and off they rowed, hun
dred yards apart. Presently the air pumps
began to turn, and the diver, like some
white, uncanny sea beast, went over from
each. After pause the boats pulled
slowly ahead Cameron and his mate
were walking along the sea floor, searching
for the wreck.
| was off watch, and stood leaning nay
elbows on the t gallant rail of the lower
deck, and smoked and looked about me-
The water was full of these little pink sailed
jellyfsh that we seafolk call Portuguese
memo war, though nautilus is, [ be-
lieve, the fancy name. l pointed them
out to Miss Bradbury, who was standing
near, and asked her if she d like one.
''Do you think there much danger,
Mr. McTodd?" says She
"They We just wee sting to them if
they get upon your hands, said l. But
there no need to touch them You can
just crafty your eyes, and then we will
fling them overheard again They re no
beauties that ye' d care to keep and take
home with ye, like canary bird >
"What do you mean p says she.
"I'm talking of these Portuguese men,
o war
She put her hand upon my arm and
looked up into her face and saw it was as
white as paper, saving for black rings
under the eyes 81 beg your pardon,
Mr.. McTodd, for being so inattentive.
L m afraid my thoughts are under the sea
instead of on top of it. Is this diving very
dangerous work !? Their air tubes might
get entangled.
They're too old hands to let them
foul -
"Or they may get swept away by cur
rents
"Their life-lines will keep them IL
tow. ~
''Or sharks -
'sSharks are always feared at divers
Miss Bradbury, No, miss, you may be
lieve me, those two men are as safe down
at work below as you are here, or safer
seeing that they can't get sunstroke, anc
you very likely will if you stay here away
from the awnings with no hat on.
She shivered, and thanked me, anC
went away into the shade, and | turned
again and watched the boats and the twt
moving patches of muddied water which
they were following. 1t struck me at th'
moment that the s. S. Corinth Salvag'
Association were putting vast deal o
trust in the two men whom they employed
as their divers-9270,0 900 worth of golc
is a very vast bulk of wealth for poor mel
to be near
They did not find the wreck that da.
or the next. Indeed, not until weel
had passed did they come across her, ant
then they found that she had settled OIL
her broadside into little gully on the se'
floor where current had carried silt owe
her till she was almost covered out of sight
They buoyed her when she was found, ant
that day went off in Cameron's boat ant
tried to see if | could make her out fron
above. But she lay in sixteen fatboms
and the water was gray with mud from
them working below Looking down int
it was like peering through mist.
The Cleaner swung at her anchor owe
the Western ocean swells, and the SUI
bleached her awnings to the whiteness o
ew-fallen snow. For myself, but for on'
thing. | never had such an easy time Oh
full pay during all my sea-going. Their
was no work to do. A lot of grog wa
served out, coast fashion, at eight bells
and the slop-chest tobacco burned slowl.,
and cost only two shillings pound Bu
there was one thing worried me, and tina
was Miss Bradbury She had joined a
Liverpool as rosy lassie as one could wlsi