The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-03-31

any one who choose to listen. The
talk was npon nothing else. The three
passengers fairly brimmed with it.
They said teasure diving was $50 ro-
mantle"
For myself, when thought of those
dead bones guarding chests of gold far
down in the slime and the weed and the
cold wash OF the sea, thought the
l never did understand the ways of
those writing people. They would
have suited my father better. He was
a writer that every one who reads will
have heard of. 1t was he who wrote
'Sixty-two Years in Ballindrochater,"
by "a Scourger OF Sim"
1 cannot say, either, that Miss Brad
bury was my idea OF woman who
could write book. To begin with,
she was young, and as bonny looking
lassie as you could pick during q
three-hours' search in Buchanan street,
Glasgow. She'd a fine color to her
cheeks, and big brown eyes that fairly
lit when she warmed up in her talk.
She was not small, but her white can
vas shoes would stand within the palm
OF my hand. l tried that one day
when the steward was pipe-claying
them. She'd guitar with her on
board, and when we got to south across
the bay, and the nights grew warm,
she'd sit out in the moonlight and
sing. Her music was nothing in my
line, though; it was all of Eighty sort;
but then it was not made directly for
my pleasure. Cameron was the man
che sang for, and though at first she
disguised this, before we saw the Ca
nary Mountain above the sea line she
was not shy of letting it be seen by any
one who chose to look. And Willie
Cameron liked her in return; and If
ever saw it, love glowed out of the
eyes of those two.
We were fellow countrymen, Came
ron and l q am Scottish myself), and
at one time and another the pair Of US
put in farish deal of talk. His air
pump needed bit of an overhaul, and
as / was set on to help him, we had
plenty of opportunity. But I'll not say
we got much off general topics. He
seemed man in a desperate hurry to
get rich, and most every day he'd ask
me if I could point him out q plan.
But nv answer to him was always the
same.
Man." I'd say, I'd not be acting
as third engineer on an odd job steam
boat like this if I'd plan handy to my
fingers such as you want"
And then he'd shake his head and
sigh and fall to talking about the meth
DDS by which he and his mate hoped to
get the gold boxes out of the wreck and
down into the Cleaners hold. l sup
pose l ought to have seen what he was
after then. But l didn't. l 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 q good run
down, and we made the Grand Canary
one morning Just before the dawn. We
ran into Les Palmas harbor and saw
Teneriffe far away across the sand
neck, with its sunny head, rosy in the
sunrise. We'd day there making ar
rangements 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 Can
ary, and above was blue heaven and a
sun of dancing brass. The day was
frizzling; the island gave US lee cut
of the southeast trade, and there was
no breath of wind astir. The water lay
like sheet of metal. No divers could
have asked for better prospect. We
got their two boats into the water, each
with air pump, rowers, coxswain, man
to tend the life lines, and men to
pump, and off they rowed, hundred
yards apart. Presently the air pumps
began to turn, and the diver, like some
white, uncanny sea beast, went ovei
from each. After pause the boats
pulled slowly ahead. Cameron and his
mate were walking along the sea floor
searching for the wreck.
l was off watch, and, stood leaning
my 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 jellyfish that we sea
folk call Portuguese men-o'-war, though
nautilus" is, I believe, the fancy
name. pointed them out to Mis-
Bradbury, who was standing near, ant
asked her if she'd like one.
"Do you think there's much danger
Mr.. McTodd?" says she. "They'vt
just wee sting to them if they ge
upon your hands," said I. Blu
there's no need to touch them. Yor
can just crafty your eyes, and then WI
will fling them overheard again
They're no beauties that ye'd care t
keep and take home with ye, like {
canary bird"
"What do you mean9" says she.
"pm talking of these Portuguese
men-o'-war."
She put her hand upon my arm ant
l looked up into her face and saw /
was as white as paper, saving for blacl
rings under the eyes. 81 beg you
pardon, Mr.. McTodd, for being 80 in
attentive. Pm afraid my thoughts arr
under the sea instead of on top of it
Is this diving very dangerous work;
Their air tubes might get entangled."