The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1901-10-24

tellytisn fragments anu Nlnkeu hauu
lus on the small channels between the
kelp. They diyed freely In pursuit OF
their food, but, like the elder pipers,
could not. swim.
The hunters had stumbled squ9Tely
into the sea nursery; hundreds OF the
birds were about them, old and young.
Coville found nest after nest In the
dried, grassy tops above the water
where the babies and eggs swung in
delicate cradles over the deep. In.
tent on his search he was scrambling
in the seaweed, caring nothing for bis
immersion every moment when the
vines let him through. Potter was
struggling with the boat, trying to
draw It over a mass OF cable-like
plants. Under water the vegetation
was viscld and treacberous. Potter
had taken his shotgun out and laid 1t
on n hummock. He was outside the
boat trying to lift 1t above the mass
o. stuff.
Then Covllle heard him shout. While
be was trying to depress the stern Of
the boat, his weight had forced 1t sud
denly under water; It shot down side
wise among the slippery vines, and
when he tried TO shove It back a great
arm of the kelp had slipped above the
gunwale, holding 1t tightly like a rub
Der band.
The boat kept sliding end foremost
under water, and Potter's frantic eff
forts in nowise helped, for he, too,
was slowly sinking from the weight
on the iibrous mass. Coville ran to
him, and they grasped the bow Of the
craft and tried to pull 1t forward. In
stead, they forced themselves nee;
deep into the Shiny vegetation, and
had to abandon the effort. They drew
off to safer footing and looked at each
other In perplexity. The boat remained
two.thirds submerged, locked In the
weeds.
1t all happened so suddenly that the
real gravity of the situation did not
dawn on them. Potter even burst out
laughing at the collegian's blank face.
Pull Off your Clothes" he said.
"We'l have to get under the boat and
loosen that root"
I'VE can cut 1t, I suppose" said Co.
Vile. 81 have knife"
The shore, with the high mountains
back Of it, seemed so close, with the
still water between; the kelp fields,
half mile wide, with the open water
beyond, and the sun so bright over all,
were so familiar that the possibility
Of danger did not strike them.
II can swim to shore If it comes to
that" said Potter. But Wen &c. the
boat out in minute"
He dived under it and worked siren
uously at the vines, thick as a mans
leg, that lay across Its thwarts. He
came up for breath, and returned with
Coville's knife. But the tough 1hers
resisted, and all the time the mass
sank until the end Of the boat was
barely above the surface, and long
streamers OF kelp were beginning to
throw themselves out from the sides
over the diver, as If to hold him down.
Potter came up red-faced and ex-
hausted. Dropped the knife" he
said, shortly, but there's only one
strand on the boat now. If get that
off she'll come up"
But the whole business is sinliingw
said Coyille. II thought that the stuff
was going to close over you. Be care.
full!
Potter went below. Through the
crystal water Coville could mark every
movement Of his hands. Then some
thing like a band Of shining white In
the sunlit water swept through the
open place below Coville.
He yelled hastily at his companion.
but Potter, although he did not hear
the shout. saw the danger, and plunged
upward 10 where his friend grasped
his hand and drew him upon the sink
ing cables of kelp.
"A shark! What big one he wasw
cried Potter.
Yes, / thought he had you; he went
past like q shotv'
That's bad, He wasn't after me,
but all the commotion Of the boat
sinking had attracted the brutes. I
never thought of that There are
fearfully big ones under the keIp. The
fishermen say it's a feeding ground for
them, the cuttlehsh are so plentiful
here"
The two young men peered fear.
fully down through the frond-latticed
windows into the depths. Blue, black
and purple sea plants trailed upward,
disturbed by the passage Of the shark.
But for the shadows they could have
seen the bottom Of the sea, so trans.
parent was the still water.
We're in a bad fxp said CoyiIle
You'll not dare to swim ashore now
with those fellows reused; it's a mile.
| should say"
Potter looked disconsolate enough.
The sun was setting, the mountains
were purple in the east; the sen birds
called all ahouf than. A., -.