The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-20

sight of the friendly shadow of che
brig there was nothing left to guide me
except indeed, the slender tubes at
tached to my helmet to supply me with
air. and the cord that was to serve me
as a danger signal and means of res
cue. These toated behind me as I
moved, but l knew that they moved
with the currents and We're as likely to
mislead as to assist me. There was no
help for it, however, and l did my
best. Slowly and step by STEP strain
ing my eyes in every direction to catch
the first faint shadow that might lead
me to my goal, l moved on through
that bewilderng blaze of color. Again
and again l paused, my heart beating
high with hope as some faint shadow
rose on my narrow horizon; again ana
again my heart sank as ] recognized
that it was nothing but some shadow
on the surface of the bay which had
perhaps diverted me from my course.
l pictured to myself the growing impa-
tience of my friends on the brig, and
was in mOmentary expectation of some
signal aolng the rope to warn me that
their patience was exhausted or their
fears for my safety aroused.
At last, just when l was beginning
I to despair of success, there certainly
was q shadow on the horizon to the
| right that looked more substantial than
| those that had misled me hitherto. I
paused. / felt that it was my last
| chance. l turned my face towards it
and followed the shadow. l had not
| been mistaken this time. 1t was some
| thing more than a shadow. Each step
| l made it grew more distinct; each in
| stant it looked more solid and substan-
| tial. l had found something, but now
| the question was whether after all,
| Tom had not been right and it would
prove to be 40 more than a rock. OF
course it was most likely, and l tried to
persuade myself, as step by step l got
closer, that l expected and could eX-
pect- nothing else. The under-sea hor-
izon is but u short one, and 1 could
not have had very many yards to go
before l reached the spot.
"A rock! only a rock, after ALL" /
said to myself, cold chill of disap-
pointment stealing over me as | did so.
| stod still and looked at it hopelessly.
1t rose to perhaps three times my own
height from the sand-a shapeless
block of discOlored stone. The coral
shrubs grew close to the place where it
jutted out of its bed here and there
they seemed to be rooted n little lodges
and inequalities of its surface, and
grew out of these. of every color and
at every angle. In every hollow and
on every inequality it was crusted with
shells; spongy substances expended
their cells nedusae hung out theil
11g,Nrr
in the currents. A rock, yes, surely
! only rock
thought Of what I had seen when ]
looked over the bulwark of the brig
the evening before and, insensbly
hope revived. From above the shape
had been that of ship-a strange, un-
, couth looking ship, indeed, but a shir
in spite of all. The longer l looked al
| it the stronger the impression grew
it was the same. and 1t was a shin
: Yet how was | to settle the question
| looked up a ii, and it looked hope
; less. l struck it with the tomahawk
;. and the edge grated harshly on shells
r only on shells. Then an idea struck
3 me; there might be something on the
] other side.
There was some difficulty in gettinE
= round, for the coral grew more thicklS
here than elsewhere, but l gradually
a found a way to reach the other side
r The idea had been a good one as | saw
y at once. The rock, if it was only {
r rock, was lower at this side; the yes
l. sci, if it We're indeed a vessel, lay witt
!, a heavy list toward the side which
r had reached. The growth of coral wa
/ thicker here than ever so much SO tina
1t was only by the free use of tn
tomahawk that at last l was able t
5 get close to 1t. When l did so, how
. ever, the hardest part of the rock wa
d hardly more than breast high here, ant
3 above it the slope, but for one or tw'
! Jumps in the middle and higher par
I at each end, seemed pretty even ant
o not very steep. With beating heart
h prepared to climb
With the aid OF the coral branches