Evening star., 1899-04-08

they put into IT. Certainly they seemed
keen enough to get the specie weighed and
on board Whatever piratical plans they
had got made up were evidently for after
ward.
But when day after day passed and none
OF the treasure was brought to the surface,
ne began to modify this original opinion.
Iazzucht-transiating the divers reports
said that the cause of the delay was the
softness of the sea floor. The heavy chests
mad sunk deep into the ooze, and directly
a spadeful of the horrible slime was dug
away more slid in to FIJI the gap. OF course,
TINS might be true, but suspicion had got SO
began to cudgel his brain for some new
method by which, the italians could serve
their purpose He put himself suppositi-
tlously IN Tazzuchi place and made pirat-
ne had to dismiss after examina ton as i'm
practicable, but finally stood out be-
yond all the rest For one thing. it did not
want many participants; only the actual
divers and TazZuchi himself For another,
1t would not brand the whole gang of them
as criminals and pirates, but (properly
managed) would make them rich without
any advertised stigma or stain. In simple
WORDS, the method was this. The gold boxes
must pc removed from their original site
ana hldGen elsewhere under the water close
az hand. The friendly slime would bury
them snugly out of sight. The old report of
un-get-at-a-ble' would be adhered to, and
llhally IaGa.y the steamer would give up further
savage operations as hopeless and steam
away 10 port. There TaZzuchi and his
iriends would charter a small vessel of
tnelr own and go back for the plunder.
hettle telt all an unmaginative mans
colnpiacency In ferreting out such a dra-
matte scheme, and began to think next upon
tne somewhat important detail of how to
set proofs before he commenced to frus-
lTdte IT, Chance seemed to make TazZuchi
play into his hand. The air pump which
had been damaged by the rifle bullet had
oeen mended by the steamers engineers,
and as there were two or three spa re diving
tDfp To mob
pressed MS intention of making a descent
IN person to inspect the progress.
oidn know it before, because I didn't
want to make the men break time. win
you come off in the boat with me- CAPTAIN
and hand my life line?'
III borrow one of those spare dresses
ana snare the pump with you said Kettle
IaZzuchl was visibly startled. What do
you mean?'
THE pump will give air for two, and I'm
coming down with you"
But you know nothing about diving and
you might have an accident"
"Oh, I'll risk that You must nursery
maid me bit
Tazzuchi lowered his voice. ITO tell the
truth m going to pay surprise visit. l
want TO make sure those chaps below are
oolhs the square thing. If they aren't
mere II be row, and they'll use their
knives
III m," said Kettle. I've got no use for
your local weapon as a general thing. But
at pinch like this I'll borrow knife of
You, and if 1t comes to any one cutting my
air tube, you'll find L can use i.y)retty mis-
chevously.'
Il wish you wouldn't insist on this" said
Tazzuchi, persuasiveIy.
Il m gong to, anyway"
Il m going down merely because it's my
duty
That's the very same reason that's TAX
ing me, captain. 1 must ask you not to
make any more objections. I'm a man that
never changes his mind, once it's made
up"
Whereupon Tazzuchi shrugged his shoul-
Now" thought Kettle to himself, that
mans made up his mind to kill me If he
gets glimmer of a chance, and as I'm not
going to get wiped out this journey, he'll
do with lot of watching.
Capt Owen Kettles nerve and indom-
table courage were never more severely
tried than in this voluntary descent in the
diving dress. The world beneath the wa
ters was strange and dangerous to him;
his companion was a man against whom he
held the blacklist suspicion; the men at the
pump (Whose language he did not under
stanO might at any moment cut off his air
supply and leave him to drown like a
puppy under bucket. They hung the
weights over his chest and back, and Taz-
zuchi signed to him to descend. Kettle
httched round the sheath knife to the front
Of his belt and signed with politeness,
After you" a.
Tazzuchi did not argue the matter. He
got on the ladder and climbed down out of
sight. Kettle followed. The chill of the
water crept up and closed over his head
He reached the end Of the ladder slid down
a rope, ana when he reached the bottom he
sank UP to his knees in impa pable mud
He could foggily see Ta2zuchi few PAGES
away waiting for him and he went up to
him at once. If the men in the boat, acting
on orders, cut his air tube, he wanted to be
in position to cut Capt. Tazzuchfs also
with promptneSs.
However, .Varvthinp went npacefullV inst
then. The Italian set off down track in the
slime and Kettle waded laboriously after
him. 1t was terrible work making a pas
sage through that white, glutinous ooze,
but they came to the wreck directly, and,
working round her rusted flank, stood be-
side great shallow pit. where two weird
looking gray sea monsters showed in dim
outline through the dense fog OF the water.
The two newcomers stood for long enough
before the two workers observed them. But
one CHANGED to look up and see them watch
ing and logged the other with his spade
and then both franticaily beckoned the Wis
itors to come down into the pit Tazzuchi
led and Kettle followed, wallowtng down
the slopes of slime, and there at the bottom,
in the dim, milky light, one of the profess
sional divers slipped shovel into his hand
and thrust it downward till it Jared against
something solid underfoot.
1t was clear they had come upon the gold
boxes, and they wished to impress upon the
visitors in underwater dumb show Of tri-
umph that the find had only been made that
very minute. Ponderously booted feet did
a dance Of ecstacy in three feet of gluey
mud. And, meanwhile, Kettle, with a hand
on the haft of his knife, edged away from
this uncanny demonstration lest some one
should slit his air tube before he could pre-
vent it.
He had seen what he wanted he had no
reason to wait longer. The gold boxes were
there, and If they were not brought to the
surface and carried honestly to Suez, the
matter would have to be fought out above
in Gods open air. and not in that horrible
choking quagmire of slime and water And
so, still guarding himself cannily, he got
back again to the boat, and almost had 1t
in him to shake hands with the men who
eased him of that intolerable helmet
Now, far be 1t from me to raise even a
suspicion that Capt. Owen Kettle resented
the fact that he had been robbed of a scuffle
when the little salvage steamer actually did
bring up in Suez harbor with the specie
honestly locked in one Of her state
rooms. But that he was violently angry he
admits himself without qualification. He
says he kicked himself for being such a
bad judge Of men.
The Parakeet was in there when they
arrived, rebunkering for the run home, and
Murray came off fast as a crew could
drive his boat to inquire the news.
He accosted Tazzuchi with vigorous
-N- Ih~ l.. IL IL