The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-07-18
a man against whom he held the black

q man against whom he held the black
est suspicion; the men at the pump
Whose language he did not understand
might at any moment cut off his air
supply and leave him to drown like a
puppy under a 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.''
Tazzuchi did not argue the matter
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 a 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 a position to cut
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 a great
shallow pit, where two weird looking,
gray sea monsters showed in dim out
line through the dense fog Of the wa
ter.
The two newcomers stood for long
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 both
fraitically beckoned the visitors to
come down into the pit. Tazzuchi led,
and Kettle followed, wallowing down
the slopes Of slime, and there at the
bottom, in the dim, milky light, one
of the professional divers slipped a
shovel into his hand and thrust it
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 dumb
show of triumph, that the find had only
been made that very minute. Ponder
ously booted feet did a dance of ecstasy
in three feet of gluey mud, and mean
while Kettle, with hand on the haft
OF his knife, edged away from this I'M
canny demonstration lest some one
should slit his air tube before he could
prevent it.
He had seen what he wanted; he had
no reason to wait longer. The gold
boxes were there, and if they were not
brought to the surface and carried hon
estly to Suez the matter would have to
be fought out above in Gods open air
and not in that horrible, choking quag-
mire of slime and water. And so, still
guarding himself cannily, he got back
again to the boat and almost had it in
him to shake hands with the men who
eased him Of that intolerable helmet.
Now, far be it from me to raise even
a suspicion that Captain Owen Kettle
resented the fact that he had been rob-
bed Of a scuff1e when the little salvage
steamer actually did bring up in Suez
harbor with the specie honestly locked
in one of her staterooms. But that he
was violently angry he admits himself
without qualification. He says he kick
ed himself for being such a bad Judge
of men.
The Parakeet was in there when they
arrived, rebunkering for the run home,
and Murray came off as fast as a crew
could drive his boats to inquire the
news.
He accosted Tazzuchi with vigorous
handshake and "Hello, Fizz-hookey,
old man! How goes it? Who'd have
thought of seeing you here? Howdy,
Captain Kettle? Had good fishing?"
"Do you know Captain TazzuchiY'
"Somewhat. Why, we were both
boys on the Conway together"
you're making some mistake. Cap
tain TazZuchi is an Italian
ooh, am II" said Tazzuchi. "Not
much Of the dago about me except the
name"
"Well, you never told me that be-
FORE"
you never asked me that know of.
I speak about enough Of the lingo to
carry on duty with, and I serve on an
Italian ship because I couldn't get a
shippers billet on anything else But
I'm as English as either of you. Great
Scott! Captain Kettle, can't you tell
dago yet for sure?'
Murray laughed. "NNell, come across
and discuss it in the Parakeet. I've got
case Of champagne on board to wet
my new ticket"
"Stay half minute" said Tazzuchi;
"we'll just get those boxes Of gold down
into your boat, Murray, and ferry them
across. They're too big a temptation to
leave handy for the crew there is on
board here.'
"PheWw said Kettle. "Its hot here
in Suez! Great James! To think of the
way I've been sweating aboard this
blame ship without scrap of need Of
it. Here, hurry up with the lucre box
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