The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-06

SdTet, ana fenn1ngor named mel
the gold brick, alUer a cautious
glance around the deck She came
near dropping 1t when she took II
in her hands.
| How heavy II isl" she ex
claimed. How mucn is it worth p
1.-TWO or three thousand dollars,
replied Henninger.
Margaret gave little gasp
Here, take it," She thrust it back
to Henninger. I'm almost afraid
| of it. l never had so much money
in my life at once. I can't imag-
inc that it's really true. / hoped,
| but-please don't look believe
I'm going to cry!"
She turned aside and did cry
| quietly for couple of minutes,
with her head on the rail, while
the men preserved an embarrassed
silence.
I'm better now" she said, wip-
| ing her eyes. I'm ashamed to be
so silly. but it was the excitement.
and the waiting and the success
and-everything. What are we GO
ing to do now?'
I'VE can't do anything more to-
night" returned Henninger. Eve
must have light to locate the rest
of the stuff, for it's mostly in the
lagoon. you know. Bennett says
he counted % cases in the fore
hold, and that will all have to be
got by diving"
c1a hn
Omeyyah that night. The diving ap-
paratus was brought up from the
hold, cleaned and tested The i'm
promptu derrick was also set up,
consisting of strong spar 40 feet
long hinged in an iron socket at
the foot of the mizzenmast, with a
block and tackle at the extremity
and a geared crank at the base.
Henninger meanwhile cleared
out the room that had been pre-
pared below for the reception of
the treasure. This was a corner of
the aftercabin, partioned off by
three Pinch planks, totally dark and
entered only by low and narrow
door fastened with four heavy iron
Val SGtil lOChSu llito I'D SOGhCt
with Yale lock.
These preparations were finished
by 2 O'Clock in the morning, how
ever, and there was nothing then to
do but wait for daylight. Weari-
ness brought sleep to all, and ST.
lence gradually fell upon the deck.
Elliott was awakened from vio-
lent dreams by some one shaking
him.
Get up said Hawke. We've
got to make long day of it,"
Elicit sprang up, broad awake
instantly. The rest of the party
were already astir, and in few
minutes the cook brought them
breakfast.
The meal did not last five min
utes, and Henninger, Bennett and
Elliott descended into tn eboat and
pulled toward the lin eof reefs in
search of a gap into the lagoon.
They rowed nearly half mile and
rounded the island to the west, in
fact. before they found any open
ing in the barrier. Here, however,
they came upon a gap quite wide
enough to permit the passage of the
dhow, and i'll the lagoon there was,
as Hawke had estimated, a depth
of five fathoms.
They rowed eastward again to-
ward the wreck. The sunken part
Of the Clara McClay lay in about
20 feet of water, and had been
swept round till it rested almost at
right angles to the other half. 1t
had, like the stern, toppled abeam,
so that the decks lay almost per-
pendicular, and about three feet of
the side rose above the water.
They rowed all around the sunk
en- mass of iron that revealed moth
ing of what it might contain.
There's the hatch where | went
down." said Bennett. The hatch
was still closed, and was some
eight feet under water.
Diving will be the only way to
go down there again. Elliott re-
| marked.
Yes said Henninger "No use
looking at it from here. Let's get
the dhow up alongside"
They regained the dhow as the
sunrose, and the reis got the Omey-
yah under sail. There was just
wind enough to move her, and the
boat led the way and rounded her
in, through the gap in the reef and
across the lagoon all alongside the
rusty bones of the wreck. Here
the anchor dropped with a short
| cable to keep her from drifting,
| and as a further precaution the
| boat carried a second cable with a
wedge anchor, and fixed 1t among
| the rocks of the reef.
Now" said Henninger, when
they had returned aboard, where's
the diving suit? I'm going down."
Il thought you said you had an
Arab expert for the diving" said
Elliott, in surprise.
| so we have, but I'm afraid to
send him down till I've had look
first. The gold cases may have
burst, and you don't know what
sights he'd see. l don't trust this
crew. so I'm going below myself
this time"
by thunder, | wouldn't crawl
into that wreck In a rubber jacket
not for a ship load of gold" said
Bennett, earnestly. 1--WE don't
1