Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-07-02

broke over unseen reefs and swung
round the capes of rocky archipelago,
and then the pilot gave his word, and
the engines were stopped, and rusty
cable roared out till an anchor had got
hold of the ground. A boat was low.
cred away with air pump already
stepped amidships, and the boats crew
with eager hands assisted the diver to
make his toilet.
"Your chaps seem keen enough" said
Kettle as he watched the trail Of air
bubbles which showed the mans prog
ress on the sea floor below.
"They have each got a stake in the
venture"
II bet they have" was Kettles grim
comment to himself.
The kidnapped skipper Of the dhow, II
seemed, had done his pilotage with
fine accuracy. The salvage steamer
had been anchored in a good position,
and between them two divers in two
boats found the Grecian's wreck in half
an hour.
They came up to the air for a quar-
ter of an hours spell and made their
announcement. and then the COPPER hel.
NETS were clapped into place again, anC
once more they faded away into the
depths. A gable of excited Italians
kept pace to the turning Of the all
pumps, and Of that language Kettle
knew barely a score Of words. Prac
tically these people might have weaved
any kind Of plot nOIsily and under his
very nose without his being any the
wiser, and this possibility did little tt
Quell his suspicious.
But still Tazzuchi was all outward
frankness. "It's as well we brought
out this little steamboat Just to skin
the wreck and survey her." he said. I'll
they'd waited to fit out big salvage
expedition to raise her straight Oh,
reckon there wouldn't have been much
left but iron plates and coal bunkers
These Red sea niggers are pretty usefu
at looting, once they start. The beg
gars can dive pretty nearly as well an6
as long In their naked skins as theil
betters can in proper diving suit"
Each time the divers came up from
the opaque white water they brough
more reports. Binnacles, whistle, wheell
and all movable deck fittings were gon'
already. The charthouse had been loot
ed down to the bare boards. Hatche'
were off both forward and aft, and al
ready the cargo had begun to diminish
The black men of the district had beer
making good use Of their time.
News came from the cool, myster1ou
water to the baking region Of air abov'
almost at the second hour Of the searcl
that the Grecian could never be re
foated. In addition to the holes al
ready made in two Of her compars
ments, she had settled on sharp jal
of rock, which had pierced her In
| third place, aft. This one piece Of rocl
was the only solid spot in the neighbor
hood. All the rest Of the sea floor wa
pulpy white clay, and in this the unfor
| tunate wreck had settled till already l
was flush with her lower decks. Their
were evidences, too, that the ooze wa
creeping higher every day. so that al
that remained was to strip her as quick
| " as might be before she was swallow
ed up.
Tazzuchi asked Captain Kettle TO
his opinion that night while in tn
charthouse. "I'm to be guided b.
| you, of course" he said, "but my ide'
is that we should 60 for the specie frs
thing and let everything else slide til
that's snugly on board here.- Bird
gave f5,4OO for the wreck, and there
| $4,000 in cash down there in q room
they built specially for 1t over tn
shaft tunnel. If we can grab that,
will pay our expenses and commission
and all the other actual outlay, an
Birds will be out Of the wood"
"Ye,," thought Kettle; You wan
those gold boxes In your hands, yo1
blessed dago, and then you'll begin t
play your monkey tricks. wonder
you think you're going to jam a knit
into me by way Of making things snuI
and safer
But aloud he expressed agreement Z
Captain Tazzuchi's plan. he felt tha
this was diplomacy, and, though tn
diplomatic art was new and strange :
him, he told himself that It was th
correct weapon to use under the cii
cumstances. He had risen out Of hi
old grade Of hole and corner shipmai
ter. He was q captain In regular lin
now, and wild flights and scrimmagc
were beneath the dignity Of bis pos
ton.
Accordingly. - soon - dawn gave