The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-07-28

Miss Bradbury. No. miss, you may be-
lieve me. those two men are as safe
down at work below as you are here, or
safer, seeing that they can't get sun
stroke, and you very likely will if you
stay here away from the awnings with
no hat on.
She shivered, and thanked me, and
went away into the shade, and ! turned
again and watched the boats and the
two moving patches Of muddied water
which they were following. 1t struck
me at the moment that the Steamship
Corinth Salvage association were put
ting vast deal of trust in the two men
whom they employed as their divers
e27O, 900 worth of gold is 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 broadside into little gulley on the
sea floor where current had carried
silt over her till she was almost covered
out of sight. They buoyed her when
she was found and that Gay went off
in Cameron's boat and tried to see If
could make her out from above. But
she lay in 10 fathoms, and the water
was gray with mud from them working
below Looking down into it was like
peering through a mist.
The Cleaner swung at her anchor
over the western ocean swells, and the
sun bleached her awnings to the white
ness 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 fash
ion. at eight bells, and the slop chest
tobacco burnt slowly and cost only
shillings a pound. But there was one
thing worried me and that was Miss
Bradbury. She had joined at Liverpool
as rosy lassie as one could wish to
meet, and here she was getting whittier
and thinner every day. You could al
most see 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 saw it, There
was no avoiding such thing. But they
put it down to anxiety about Cameron.
The pair of them were openly en-
gagged to marry by this time. and I
must cay the way that he and the other
diver worked was caution. OF course
the water was warm, but it was fairish
deep, and l never saw men stay down
longer. They never seemed to give in
while they had strength left to lift
hand, and when they came to the sur
face and had their gear taken off they'd
be almost fainting with WEAKNESS from
what they'd gone through. And it was
not one day occurrence either. They
were always the same, and the weeks
slipped away till they had run into
month. and still none of the gold had
been brought to the Cleaner.
The silt was the trouble, it seemed.
AS fast as they dug it cut just SO fast
did it slide down again into the steam
er's bowels, and the strong room, which
lay right down against her keel, could
not be come at. OF course one under
stood that Cameron's reputation de.
pended upon his bringing off this sal
wage job successfully, but l don't see
IL
l told him SO more than once. 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 the
pair of them just worked themselves to
rags.
A stopper was put on their game
however. in a way they did not expect.
The steward brought word one morning
that the captain wanted to see me, and
turned out of my bunk and went on
deck. He seemed in a bit of worry.
"Mr Storey's had stroke" says he
"Ive told that man dozen times to
take drugs, sir, said l, "and he never
would"
s'Drugs are all very well for us,
Mac, says he, "that have ordinary
stomachs, but drugs wouldn't have
saved Storey what he's got, and that's
paralysis. !"
"My certie!'' said /.
'sIt's true, said the old man. eft
took him while he was in the boat.
Cameron had just gone down and Storey
was going to follow when he was seized.
They took off his helmet and brought
him back here. and he's down in his
room now with half of him dead and no
speech left.
otis complaint, I've heard, that
often does seize divers"
''It does if they stick to the trade too
long. Well, Mac, I'm wanting some
one to take his place, and give you
first offer. It'll mean e5 week above
and beyond your present pay, and
there's nothing to hinder your earning
it,.
Nothing that see. sir. Storey and
are just in a build and can wear his
suit. -
Every well. then, just give me your
hand for half minute and look me in
the eye. .
did that
"Now. said he, you re servant of
the Corinth Salvage association, and
I'm another. Your father was gentle
man, wasn't her
~