Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-09-14


1t all happened so suddenly that the
real gravity OF the situation did not
dawn on them. Potter even burst ont
laughing at the collcglnn's blank face.
"Pull off your clothes" he said,
Wen have to get under the boat and
loosen that root"
I'VE can cut it, 1 suppose" said Co
vile. IL have knife"
The shore, with the high mountains
back of 1t, seemed so close, with the
still water between; the kelp fields. Il
half mile wide, with the open water
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 gel the
boat out in Il minute
He dlved under it and worked siren
uously at the vines, thick rs mans
leg, that lay across It's thwarts. He
came up for breath. and returned with
Covllle's knife. But the tough iibers
resisted. and all the time the mass
sank until the end Of the boat was
barely above the surface, and long
streamcrs Of kelp were beginning to
throw themselves out from the sides
over the diver, as If to hold him down.
Potter came up redfaced and cX-
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 Coville. Il 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 band Of shining white in
the sunlit water swept through the
| open place below Coville.
He yelled hastily at his comps Mon,
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.
"A shark! What big one he was!
cried Potter.
Yes, l thought he had you; he went
past like shot"
That's bad. He wasn't after me.
but all the connection of the boat
sinking had attracted the brutes. l
never thought of that. There are
fearfully big ones under the kelp. The
fishermen say it's feeding ground for
them, the cuttletish 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 fix" said Coville.
You'll not dare to swim ashore now,
with those fellows reused; it's mile,
| should say"
Potter looked disconsolate enough.
The sun was setting, the mountains
were purple in the east; the sea birds
called all about them; the sandpipers,
irratatingly impertinent, were running
lightly about on the seaweed floor.
But this was sinking under them.
They drew back and noticed that the
boat was h0pelcssly entnngled. Then
there came n swift swirl of water in
the open spot where 1t had been. Two
sharks dashed carcening about the
basin. They could see the white bod
les flash duly under and around the
boat, charging on the submerged
Graf. led probably, by the scent Of
the provision under the thwarts.
I'VE can't stand still on this stuff;
it 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
to them before how surprisingly little
of the sea hedge would bear a mans
weight. They were constantly sink
ing and had to be wary of the pools
of clear water on every side. They
saw smaller shark in one Of the in
sters had been drawn from every
point. Looking back the men saw a
wild commotion in the pool about the
sunken boat.
Fighting, probably" said Potter.
DO you suppose they will follow us
under water?'
1t began to appear as if they would.
One of the brutes dashed into open
sight not forty feet away, and when
they neared n long open channel
through the weeds, two or three more
were visible, hanging warily in the
| water, and seeming to watch the agi-
tation of the kelp below the mems
| feet.
Down the coast there was no one in
sight. There was no possible escape
except by swimming. and the sea
| weeds afforded no resting place.
Two minutes Mt the most was the
longest time they could stop in one
| place; then they would be waist deep,
and the clammy stuff about their bod
les was unpleasantly suggestive Of the
preying sharks.
There was no house visible except
| the Potter ranch near the coast. Ed
ward could see the smoke curling up
from the chimney on the point of land
nearest.
| IF we could only make them hear
he said. MY sisters there; she's good
with boat and could take us off, But
| | believe she went to town.
| They We're forced to keep moving
scrambling on over the coarse dried
hummocks of the scaweed that pro,
truded from the water, but offered lit
tie security.
| There was long projection Of the
stuff landward. and on this they trav.
eled as far rs possible, and then they
began to shout loudly for help.
Potter had managed to keep above
water. and he repeatedly fired his shot