The times., 1897-03-20

the bottom the deck which bad left was
quite out of reach and seemed to be several
feet above my head. had alishted on one
of the shapeless looking heaps ! had no
ticed from above, and i was surprised TO
find that in spite of its covering of shells
and scaweeds il felt nearly level to the
touch. | looked around, and l was con-
scious of a strange, new feeling of op-
preston. For the first time since l left
the brig | felt a shrinking sensation that
was almost like fear. 1t may have been
the sudden change from the broad free
dom of the ocean bottom to the narrow
limits in which found myself: it may even
have been merely the effect of the DINNER
light in which 1 stood and the darker
shadows that surrounded me on every side;
but whatever the cause, the effect was
something worse than unpleasant. looked
around, and as l looked i shuddered.
1t was only by an effort that / re-
covered myself, and considered what
my next step should be. The question
was, where l should be most likely to
find what l was looking for. There
had been no effort required, when at a
distance, to picture untold heaps OF
treasure lying ready to my hands, but
face with realities. l might, indeed, be
standing upon a heap OF gold or silver,
but now that / found myself in con-
tact with it the reality of the whole
thing seemed hard TO grasp. | stopped
and struck several blows with the tom
ahawk upon the heap on which l was
standing. Whatever the heap was COM
posed of, it resisted the edge of my
weapon as if 1t had been stone. l stopped
to consider After all, nothing was TO he
gained by merely bunting the edge of the
tomahawk unless there was reasonable
chance that | should find what / WAS
looking for. But was it likely? The heap
might have consisted OF wooden cases
hardened in some way by the action of
the sea water during the centuries. Even
IL il were so, was the treasure likely TO he
slowed in this part of the ship? l looked
round me again, and the answer seemed
clear enough-it was not. Where l stood
must have been nearly amidship; SIRE
ly, the most valuable part of what she
carried would have been placed under the
poop deck, near the stern.
The heap sloped downward toward the
stern, so much so that the water looked
dark and cavernous as l stopped forward
to peer into the shadows that brooded over |
it, There did not appear to be any obstacle |
inmy way, no weyer, and aftera momentary |
hesitation / moved cautiously down the |
slope / was doubtful of my footing and |
] moved carefully. Step by step, with my |
face set toward the darker shadows that |
lurked under the afterdeck k-step by step |
/ felt my way. 1t was less dark than / |
feared it would be. My eyes had grown |
to the soft, pervading light |
that came downward through the watery |
atmosphere, and now 1 found that they |
quickly accommodated themselves to the |
DINNER light that stole obliquely into the |
inner recesses of the afterhold. Looking |
from side to side, as went cautiously for |
ward, could make out my new surround |
ings almost as well as had done outside. |
The place was like cavern, and step by |
step as l descended the illusion became |
more complete. Under my feet the floor |
sloned steeply downward, thickly paved |
with shells; on each side coral plants had |
taken root, and, although they had not (
attained the size and luXuriance of those |
outside they seemed almost more strange |
and beautiful as they stretched their colored |
branches toward me on every side; over
head long tresses of colored seaweed hung |
down ward in disheveled masses, and sway