The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1914-05-13

WOO
sisnai-iine. which now saw had
been cut.
The other man drove his hand into
the gap In the dress. tore out a small
brown object dangling on q string
and Jumped backward out Of the way
or his srasping. struggling victim. In
the jump he fell and instantly tn
water vibrated to an iron cians that
struck my helmet like a shot. h
was caught In something: he fousbt
terribly to be loose; from his i'm.
prisoned arm spread out Q sudden
cloud Of brilliant red.
Sharks! Blood brings sharksi~
was the thought that beat upou nv
brain a. tapped forward to give
MIN help Dulled a. my senses were
oy the pressure Of he sea, what I
saw nearly drove me out OF nv mind
with horror. A tridacna had rot him.
1t was set In . hole Of the coral. its
Two fearful zissas edges lying almost
sven with the surrounding level. II
nsd been gaping open until tho diver
teN back upon 1t. and tho clanx that
had struck upon my helmet was thu
sound OF its pondcrous shells. ZACH
some quarter ton In weight, siam.
ming smut. The arm OF the diver
"au been snapped and crushed be-
tween tho edges: even as looked. he
isii back. the last rag Of nssh tssrins
away. The tridacna bad nlppsd Oh
tho limb like carrot
by this time | was 20 dassd asd
siddy with my submersion that
scarcely knew what I was about. ana
the horror Of the two deaths besor.
my eyes did not overcome mo a. A
"'sht nave done had I been able to
'ee' anything clearly. knew TIN
small man must be drowned:
guessed that the other was beyooA.
heip. caught at the bigger uan.s.
s'snai me- knotted 1t together. and
tusssd furtously. Up on the Ger.
uude they felt 1t and began to haul.
me TWO black monsters, with their
gieaming eyes, went slowly I'M
toward the shadow of the bo.f
DANGLING loose and limp a. they ro.e.
sharks!" my mind kept saying N
me- ! looked fearfuiiy round ana
round The green wavering waite,
was clear OF all large shadovs:
no living torpedo, snout down. dart..,
between me and the daylight. Az nv
reef the serrated Jaws Of the terrible
cam jutted slightly ny from the cora,
eiert 10 which 1t lay: they vsrs
e'osed ike = wise. and an end ar
snattered bone protruded from ths
middle.
nave always wondered that I "a,
able to think as quickly ana -,
clearly as J. did. there at the bot,on,
OF the sea. with my mind dazed NV
unaccustomed pressure and .hak.n
oy the horrible tragedy that had inc,
passed before my eyes. BUT ~.
quite certain Of what 1 had to do. I,
VAS the Greeks right arm that hat
been severed.
INC diamond. In iu casing Of sras..
was IN his hand as he fell. A thor
'ahd TO one that diamond M. A.,
n " ."' 'ridacna. I had got TO set
u OUT and Quickiy--for two reason.
-nrst' could not stay down much
'ohser' and secondly. nothing hut !.
miracle could have kept the shars.
Wy % long. with the smell OF blood
n the water
me 'ridacna had been open wbsn
pa'ho up. 1t would probably on.,
As"'h' M tho morsel 10 had caur,, d..
vas scarcely In accordance with n.
ordinary food. When 1. oponsd. 7
must b ready with an AZ. ana s,,,..
- deep a. possible Into the y,e,Aan. .,
1esh' In tho hope Of hitting the srest
muscle that controlled the svinetn,
y 'ne valves. Should I miss that.
$1,000 10 lose the diamond, tho AZ
'hd not impossibiy myself. for those
rant shells as taey closed might
'rab the as they had the Greek.
"ei'' ! must hore not TO niss.
'oised the Ak. and waited.
IL must have been several mtnu,a.
'efore any movement took place in
no tridacna. 5ut at last I saw the
east possible gaping between thu
ows OF tisht-clinched scallops. The
helis moved apart. slowly, sIovly.
cleaned between THAR
operating edges something that
not out rays OF blue and grssn.
Was II the diamond? MOI 1t VA
he tridacna itself.
Much as I had heard of these cr>a.
ares. had never heard anything OF
heir beauty. and when I first saw 4.
almost stunned me. From out the
ates OF those gigantic shells. as they
pened more and more. came pouring y.
nth the mantle" OF tho nsh, rising
Ugh above the marble edges OF the
hell and trembling away In q cloud u
glory several feet beyond. All the
'iors Of q peacock Haunting In the
IN were there: puppies. violsts, gold
nd srosn and blue. and. over all, the -,
descent base II the water. breaking
TO crumbled rainbows upon this
iracie OF unknown. unseen beauty. 70
fairly gasped. II was so wonderful.
hen, remembering myself. l bent a.