Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-07-10

l can use it pretty mfschievously."
81 wish you wouldn't insist on this"
said Tazzuchi persuasiyely.
I'm going to, anyway"
"1'm going down merely because it's
my duty"
"That's the very same reason that's
taking me, captain. must, ask you
not to make any more objections. I'm
a man that never changes his mind,
once it's made up"
| Whereupon Tazzuchi shrugged his
shoulders and gave way.
Now" thought Kettle to himself,
| ''that mans made up his mind to kill
me If he gets glimmer of chance,
and, as Pm not going 10 get wiped out
this journey, he'll do with lot of
watching"
Captain owen Kettles nerve and in
domitable courage were never more Sc
verely tried than in this voluntary de-
scent in the diving dress. The world
beneath the waters was strange and
dangerous to him; his companion was
man against whom he held the black
est suspicion; the men at the pump
L wv llOSc NilSC lS ulO llOt
might at any moment cut off his air
! supply and leave him to drown like
puppy under n bucket. They hung the
weights over his chest and back, and
Tazzuchi signed to him to descend.
Kettle hitched round the sheath knife
to the front of his belt and signed, with
politeness, after YOU"
| rpo did NOT o,.u,1a tho ,,,otfor
He got on the ladder and climbed down
out of sight. Kettle followed. The
chill of the water crept up and closed
over his head. He reached the end of
the ladder, slid down rope, and when
he reached the bottom he sank up to
his knees in inpalpable mud. He could
foggily see TazZuchi a few PAGES away
waiting for him, and he went up to
him at once. If the men in the boat,
acting on orders, cut his air tube, he
wanted to be in position to cut
i Captain Tazzuchi's also with prompt
ness.
However, everything went peacefully
just then. The Italian set off down a
track in the slime, and Kettle waded
laboriously after him. 1t was terrible
work making a passage through that
white, glutinous ooze, but they came to
the wreck directly and, working round
her rusted flank, stood beside great
shallow pit, where two weird looking
gray sea monsters showed In dim out.
line through the dense fog of the wa.
ter.
l Tho CT For, Iona
enough before the two workers OBJ
served them. But one Glanced to look
up and see them watching and logged
the other with his spade, and then botl
frantically beckoned the visitors tc
come down into the pit. Tazzuchi led
and Kettle followed, wallowing dowt
the slopes of slime, and there at the
bottom, in the dim, milky light one
of the professional divers slipped 9
shovel into his hand and thrust Il
down till it Jared against something
solid underfoot.
1t was clear they had come upon the
gold boxes, and they wished to impress.
upon the visitors, in underwater duml
show of triumph, that the find had only
been made that very minute. Ponder
ously booted feet did dance of ecstas,
in three feet of gluey mud, and mean
while Kettle, with hand on the hat
of his knife, edged away from this un
canny demonstration lest some on,
should slit his air tube before he coul(
prevent it.
He had seen what he wanted; he hat
no reason to wait longer. The golt
boxes were there, and IL they were no
brought to the surface and carried hon
estly to Suez the matter would have II
be fought out above in Gods open ali
and not In that horrible, choking quag
mire OF slime and water. And so, still
guarding himself cannily, lie got bacl
again to the boat and almost had it IL
him to shake hands with the men whit
eased him of that intolerable helmet.
Now, far be 1t from me to raise eyel
a suspicion that Captain Owen Kettl
: resented the fact that he had been rob
, bed of a scuffle when the little salvag
steamer actually did bring up in Sue
harbor with the specie honestly locke,
, in one of her staterooms. But that Ii
was violently angry he admits himsel
without qualification. He says he kicl;
ed himself for being such bad judg
5 of men.
The Parakeet was in there when the
arrived, rebunkering for the run home
: and Murray came off as fast as a crey
: could drive his boats to inquire th
y news.
He accosted Tazzuchi with vigorou
. handshake and Hello, Flzz-hooliey
old man! How goes it? Who'd hav
thought of seeing you here? HowdJ
!. Captain Kettle? Had good fishing?"
: "Do you know Captain Tazzuchi?"
Somewhat. Why, we were bot
boys on the Conway together"
you're making some mistake. Car
!. tain Tazzuchi is an Italian"
ooh, am II" said Tazzuchi. mo
much of the dago about me except til
name"
3 "well, you never told me that be
I fore"
: you never asked me that know OF
, I speak about enough of the lingo t
: carry on duty with, and l serve ON n
!, Italian ship because couldn't get
: shippers billet on anything else. Blu
Pm as English as either of you. Grea
!. Scott! Captain Kettle, can't you tell
dago yet for sure"
Murray laughed. "Well, come acros
and discuss it in the Parakeet. I've go
, case Of champagne on board to we
: my new ticket"
Stay half a minute" said Tazzuch
!, "we'll just get those boxes Of gold dow
: into your boat, Murray, and ferry then
across. They're too big temptation t
leave handy for the crew there is O.
. board here"
: "Phew!" said Kettle. "It's hot her
in Suez! Great James! To think of til
way I've been sweating aboard thi
blame ship without scrap of need o
!. 1t. Here, hurry up with the lucre box
es. want to get across to the old Par
= = akeet and wash the taste Of lot O
things out of nv month";