The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-09-13

gunwale, holding IL tightly IKE ruD
ber band.
The boat kept sliding end foremost
under water, and Potter's frantic ef
forts in nowise helped, for he, too
was slowly sinking from the weight
on the fbrous mass. COvllle ran to
him, and they grasped the bow OF the
craft and tried to pull II forward. In
stead, they forced themselves nee.
deep into the Shiny vegetation, and
had To abandon the effort. They drew
of TO safer footing and looked at each
other in pcrplexity. The boat remained
two-thrds 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 of yonr clothes" he said.
"We'll have TO get under the boat and
loosen that root"
I'VE can cut II. I suppose" said Co
vile. II have knife"
The shore, with the high mountains
back OF II, seemed 80 close, with the
still water between; the kelp fields, a
beyond and the sun 80 bright over ALL
were 40 familiar that the possibility
OF danger did not strike them.
~ can swim TO shore II Il comes to
that" said Potter. But wen gel the
boat out In a minute"
10 MI EnI OF m
uOusly at the vines, thick az "A mans
leg, that lay across It's thwarts. He
came up for breath, aud returned with
Coville's knife. But the tough ibers
resisted, and all the time the mass
sank until the end OF the boat was
streamers Of kelp were beginning to
throw themselves out from the sides
over the diver, as If to hold him down.
Potter came up redfaccd and eX-
haustcd. 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 sinking"
said Covillc. II thought that the stun
was going TO close over you. BE care
fulw
Potter went below. Through the
crystal water Coville could mark every
movement Of his hands Then some
thing like band OF shining white In
the sunlit water swept through the
open place below Covillc.
He yelled hastily at his companion,
but Potter, although he did not hear
the shout, saw the danger, and plunged
upward TO where his friend grasped
his hand and drew him upon the sink
ing cables OF kelp.
IN shark! what big one he wasw
cried Potter.
"Ycs, ] thought he had you; he went
past like n shotw
That's bad He wasn't after me,
but all the commotion OF the boat
sinking had attracted the brutes. |
never thought Of that There are
fearfully big ones under the kelp. The
fishermen say it's feeding ground for
them, the cuttlefsh are so plentiful
here"
The two young men peercd 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, 40 trans
parent was the still water
Were In bad nX!' said Covillc,
"You'll not dare to swim ashore now,
with those fellows reused; it's mile,
| should say"
Potter looked dscousolatc enough.
The sun was setting, the mountains
were purple in the east; the sea birds
called all about them; the sandpipcrs
irratatingly impertincnt, were running
lightly about on the seawced floor.
But this was sinking under them.
They drew back and noticed that the
boat was hopelessly cntangled. Then
there came n swift swirl OF water in
the open spot where IL had been. Two
sharks dashed carecning about the
basin. They could see the white bod
les flash duly under and around the
boat. charging on the submerged
Graf, led, probably. hy the scent OF
| the provision under the thwarts.
I'VE can't stand still on this stuff,
| IL goes down every moment" said Co.
vile. Keep moving and watch for
somebody"
Potter recovered his shotgun, and
the two men began picking their way
| along the kclp. IL had never occurred
10 them before how surprisingly little
| of the sea hedge would bear n mans
weight They were constantly sink
ing, and had TO be wary OF the pools
| Of clear water on every side They
saw n smaller shark In one of the in
tcrsticcs of the kelp; the keen mon
sters had been drawn from every
point. Looking back the men saw d
wild commotion in the pool about the
Sunken boat.
Fighting, probably" said Potter
do You suppose they will follow u'
under water?"
IL began TO appear as II they would
! One of the brutes dashed into opcI
sight not forty feet away. and whcr
they ncarcd long open channc
through the weeds, two or three NOR,
were visible. hanging warily In TN,
water. and seeming to watch the agi
iatlon of the kelp below the men
feet.
Down the coast there was no one II
sight. There was no possible escap
except by swimming. and the sea
weeds afforded no resting place.