Austin's Hawaiian weekly. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1899-190?, 1899-07-29
AUSTIN'S HAWAIIAN WEEKLY.


was merry, with look of ruddy wine. He turn
ed to a lady beside him, and spoke and laughed.
II saw, YOU fellows" he called then to us, y II
give five bob to the boy who dives under the ship
first
Some one near him called it out in Portuguese,
so that we all could understand.
LUZ was standing up in the boat. and he turn
ed his head and looked at me- His mouth did
not speak but his eyes spoke. This five shillings
is mine" they said You are afraid, they said
| caught hold of the next boat. and sprang
from mine on to it then across the others. send
ing them rocking and swinging and dipping into
the water The boys and men in the other boats
swore: two baskets toppled overheard; the
cushions of the customs boat were splashed and
the officer thrust out his arm to stop me. ] BRUSH
ed roughly against his green sleeve, and the next
moment was swarming like rat tip the side OF
the vessel
-Four boys were there, clinging to the bulwarks,
and on the inside were the English people. many
ladies with pink faces and men who smoked pipes
and laughed. Luiz was spluttering all he knew
of English to them. and everything was dam.
and every time the ladies and the men laughed.
L,,z laughed. too and his eyes were sparkling
like the sea with sunshine on it. | brushed
against his wet skin as clan1bered up. and he
turned to look at me. Then the laugh left his
face.
without thinking, save of the five shillings and
the scori, in Luis eyes. Now that saw the
green water below where the raft of boats ended.
began to be afraid | looked at Luz, to see
if he were afraid, though he was used enough
to diving under the great liners His eyes met
mine, and then | thought of the killing of pig.
and shuddered ~"
The handkerchief fell. and three bows divel
almost together. Then LUZ turned his head and
looked again at me. and dived second later
scarce moving the water more than the dip of a
gull's wing
| balanced myself on the ledge and tried to
follow him. Once toppled forward, and. chang
irg my mind recovered myself with gasp and
back clutch at the woodwork The bearded
man laughed, and said something to the lady who
had started us pucked up courage and let
myself 60
The red hull of the vessel shmnered unsteadilv
in the ripping water as | went down aud down.
until | was beneath it. | could see the blurred
figure of LUZ. black head. brown BODY. white
pants. in front of me- Two of the other bows
had gained some moments start and one losing
breath, passed me as he came back | can swim
faster than Luiz but under water | had never
tried against him. For moment he slackened
speed; perhaps through want of breath. though
he could hold it longer than any other bow in
funchal ; perhaps because the water was like ice
out of the sunshine I got abreast of him in the
seml-darkness under the vessels hull spurted.
and passed him. | thrust the water back with INV
arms pushed it back with nv feet, and then tried
to draw my legs in for the fresh stroke; could
not move them.
hen telt sharp prick in my side and almost
screamed in agony and terror though | knew
that II did the water would fill me- and should
go down. ! bent myself double and reached