Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-01-19

whispered:
Get below. quick, and pay out that
patent log; l took the box down myself
- 49, .-<ts,. }.-eal-fast
as il nothing had happened. and chat
with the senorita for awhile. but be
-. - - 80 ac..s - the latest;
we've got heap to talk about
The change in feeling from despon-
dency 10 well grounded hope almost
made me lose my head. especially as
saw that we now had the game largely
in our own hands. / watched my OPP
portunity, and was paying out the log
line asterE. through the bitt port, in
about ten minutes. Then I spent
good half hour over my meal, discuss
ing with the padre, who remained 10
keep ne company the probability Of
/, santa Rosa reef having sunk to the
Softcm. but advising him not to state
this as d fact III his forthcoming book
until he had persuaded he govern
meut to make a more eXhaustiv
search with one 81 the cruisers. Then.
after a delightful teie-a-tete with the
senorita. returned d Halstead. whom
found removing the fastenings from
a large bundle which one Of the men
had just brought up from the lazareet.
There was also sea chest. marked
with my name, upon one Of the tran
SONS. He nodded toward this and
said:
Il suppose yon dcE't remember
bringing that on board, do you?"
well. to tell the truth. don't. And
think ] was pretty sober, too. Where
did 1 get it? What's inside?"
Nothing at present. This diving
suit is going in if can make it. Now
draw the curtains and strip to your
shirt and drawers
What for?"
ITO try the thing on, of course
Hustle, now; Wen be in by two o'clock
I've read the directions over until
know them by heart, but l want you
to be boxed up in it once while I'm by
to help you. lis pretty risky bust
ness. no matter how often a man does
If. and | don't want your death on
my hands. You see, il VIII be simply
out Of the question TO depend upon
pumper above water-you can't trust
anyone-and it's going to take all the
nerve you've got to go down without"
| put the suit on. piece by piece,
obeying tine printed instructions to
the letter and fastening every clamp
myself; for l knew assistance would
be unoht ainable when ] came to actual
~ use ii. The screws at the back of the
helmet collar were the most difficult
to tighten. but / finally adjusted them
10 eyen Halsteadis satisfaction. For
tunately, | had not screwed on the
front lens Of the helmet until the last,
else | think l should have been suf-
focated before the compressed air in
the reservoir began to work The sick
ening nervousness felt al being shut
up in such a rig made me dread he at
tempt 10 go under water with it, but
the captain assured me that, having
had the thing on, it wouldn't trouble
me as much next time. Then we
packed it carefully away in the chest,
together with several dynamite cart
ridges, two light but powerful steel
bars, couple of strong hatchets, ard
some saws and knives.
From another locker Halstead took
a square mahogany box, covered with
rubber and having a lens in one side.
1t looked something like a kodak. but
proved TO be a powerful rejecting
light, the electricity for which was
supplied by chemical cartridge that
lasted six hours and produced brill
liant illumination. He said he had
used it when mate of an oil tank rum
ming TO Batoum, the insurance regula-
lions prohibiting anything in the shape
of an open lantern on board. A small
but relia BILE compass, 1000 feet of half
inch braided linen line, . spare sex
tant. the taffrail log then towing
astern, and chart of the two archi-
pelagoes, completed the equipment.
The chart we spread upon the table.
but the other articles were securely
locked in the chest. Then we sat down
TO figure the exact position of the reef.
TO begin with" said the captain,
I'VE took that first sounding as square
ly upon that charted position as it
would be possible for ship to strike
il. | got the sun at six bells in the
forenoon watch and calculated back
wards. 50 I'm dead sure of it. Then,
under half speed. we made just about
a mile further eas'-those two sound
ings I've marked with crosses. as you
see. After that, three miles due SOU,
TO this other cross. and six miles due
moth. to this one. No bottom any
where at 500 fathom. While you were
telling me about those clouds, we made
about half a mile before we turned;
! then, as closely as l can figure ii. just
! about six miles TO where L took that
/ first cast. Wei, YOU know how much
water she's drawing, don't you?'
Fifteen feet -
sixteen and a half aft; and the lead
+ struck rock At an even three fathom,
/ first heave, l saw he line jerk as the
4 leather strips went under, and every
hair of my head felt as though it were
standing on end. 1t scared me so that