Evening star., 1897-03-06

HIM WITH
the diver, like some white, uncanny sea
beast. went over from each. After a 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 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 sail
guese men-o'-war, though nautilus is,
believe. the fancy name. I pointed them
out TO Miss Bradbury, who was standing
near, and asked her If she'd like one
caught
DO you think there's much danger Mr..
McTodd? says she. They've just a wee
sting to them if they get upon your hands,
said 1. But there's no need to touch them
You can just crafty your eyes, and then
We will fling them overheard again.
They're no beauties that yed care to keep
and take home with We, like a canary
bird"
What do you mean?" says She
I'm talking of these Portuguese memo
war
She put her hand upon my arm and
looked up into her face and saw 1t was
white as paper. saving for black rings un-
der the eyes. Il beg your pardon, Mr.. Nc
Todd for being so inattentive. I'm afraid
my thoughts are under the instead of
on top of 1t. Is this diving very dangerous
work? Their air tubes might get entan-
gled.''
They're too old hands to let them foul"
"Or they may get swept away by cur
Their life lines will keep them in tow"
"Or sharks
Sharks are always feared at divers,
Miss Bradbury. No. miss. you may be-
Heye me, those two men are as safe down
at work below as you are here, or safer,
seeing that they can't get sunstroke, and
You very likely will II you stay here away
from the awnings with no hat on
She shivered and thanked me, and went
away into the shade, and 1 turned again
and watched the boats and the two moving
patches of muddied water which they were
| that the s. S. Corinth Salvage Association
were putting a vast deal Of trust in the
| two whom they employed as their
diyers--f27oooo worth of gold is a very vast
| bulk of wealth for poor men to be near.
| They did not find the wreck that day or
! the next. Indeed not till week had passed
| did they come across her, and then they
| found that she had settled on her broadsde
| into a little gully on the sea floor, where a
| current had carried silt over her till she
was almost covered out of sight. They
| buoyed her when she was found, and that
| day / went off in Cameron's boat and tried
to see if / could make her out from above
| But she lay in sixteen fathoms, and the
| water was gray with mud from them work
| ing below. Looking down into it was like
| peeering through mist.
| The Cleaner swung at her anchor over
| the western ocean swels, and the sun
! bieached her awnings to the whiteneSS of
| new-fallen snow. For myself. but for one
| thing, / never had such an easy time on
| full pay during all my seagoing. There was
| no work to do. A lot of grog was served
! out. coast-fashion. at eight bells and the
| slop chest tobacco burnt slowly and cost
| only shillings pound. But there was
| enc thing worried me. and that was Miss
| Bradbury. She had Joined at Liverpool as
! rosy lassie as one could wish to meet,
Bar. lit,
ner every day. You could almost the
| flesh slip away from her bones. and she'd
an appearance of scare and worry about
| her face that made one sick to look at. All
hands it: there no avoiding such
| thing: but they put IL down to anxiety
, about Cameron.
| The pair of them were openly engaged to
| marry by this time and i must say the
! way that he and the other diver worked
was a caution. OF course. the water was
| warm but il was fairish deep, and l never
| saw men stay down longer They never
seemed TO give in whist they had strength
| left to lift hand. and when they came to
| the surface and had their gear taken off,
they'd be almost fainting with WEAKNESS
from what they'd gone through. And ii
wasn't One-day occurrence either. They
were always the same. and the weeks slip
ped away till they had run into month
and still none of the gold had been brought
| to the Cleaner.
| The silt was the trouble, 1t seemed. AS
fast as they dug 1t out just so fast did
Ii slide down again into the steamers bow
| els. and the strong room, which lay right
down against her keel could not be come
| at. of course one understood that Cam
| eions reputation depended upon his bring
Ing off this salvage job successfully, but
don't see the force of man killing him.
| self and / told him more than once
i fancied at the time that Miss Bradbury
was telling him the same every day, but
he didn't take any notice of either of u.s.
| nor did Storey, the other diver, and thu
pair of them just worked themselves Il
rags.
A stopper was put on their game, how
ever. in way they did not expect The
steward brought word one morning thai
the captain wanted to see me, and turned
out of my bunk and went on deck. He
seemed in a bit of a worry.
MIR. Storeys had stroke" says he.
I've told that man a dozen times t
take drugs. SIR said i, land he never
would
Drugs are all very well for us. Mac,
says he that have ordinary stomachs
but drugs wouldn't have saved Storey wha
he's got and that's paralysis"
MY certei' said /.
Its true said the old man. TT tool
him while he was in the boat. Cam
eron had just gone down and Storey wa
going to follow him when he was seized
They took off his helmet and brought hin
| with half of him dead and no speech left.
r Its complaint, I've heard, that oftel
| does seize divers"
1T does II they stick to the trade to-
{ lorg. Well. Mac. I'm wanting some on
p | to take his place. and I give you first of
e yond your present pay. and there's moth
I | Ing to hinder your earning it.
! Nothing that l see. sir Storey and
| are just IN build and can wear hi