The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-08-30
1.-THE Secret of the Reef


1 lee. Her crew again grew anxiou
and moody. The open.wator sea
ton WIS short
n took them weeks TO dig ava
tho sand Then one night Jimm.
,aa cooking supper when Moral
called him up on deck and pointe'
seward.
See THAR" he said Seems q
rie we've got notice 10 quit"
Searching tho western horizon
Jimmy made out family glim
tlering patch OF white. and he rec
ognlzed II as floe,of thick north
orn lee"
Yes" he answered gravely
well have 20 hurry now"
They spent the next week attack
Ing the bulkhead. They lost NJ
time. but the work was heavy, an'
tried them hard.
II was late In the afternoon an'
blowing fresh enough 10 make div
Ing risky. when Jimmy prepared q
20 down for what he hoped woul'
be- the last attempt The long swell
had broken into short. white
topped combers. over which th'
sioop plunged. straining hard a
her cables.
We might hold on for anothel
hour" Bethuns said hopefully: bu
breaking OFF he pointed out 90 sea
THAT settles H." he added. IL III
any way possible. we must cut th'
bulkhsad tonight"
A tall. glimmering shape crep
out OF the fog about a mile away
II came smoothly forward with tn
tide. another mass IN its wake. Tn,
men cared at them with anxious
faces: then jimmy held out his
hand for the helmet.
They'll ground before they
reach us. but tho sooner get Il
work the better" be said.
A bent iron plate hung from a
lettering beam when he crswied ur
TO the after-end OF the hold. and he
savageiy tried 10 wrench IL gu,
with a bar. The effort taxed his
strength. but when he felt that he
could keep IL up no longer the tim
Tor yielded and he fell forward
into the zap.
Lifting his electric lamp. he saw
that tho floor was deep In sand :
and out OF the sand two wooden
boxes projected He found that he
could not drag them clear, and II
seemed impossible 10 remove them
, without some tackle. but In crop
Ing about h. came upon a bag.
He sat still for moment or two
his heart beating with exultAn, er
element. II looked as II wealth
were within his grasp.
The effects OF the continued
pressure made themselves felt and
Jimmy hastily picked his way out
OF tho hold and up the ladder. and
Bethune released him from his can
vas dress. and lifted the bag.
You got In he cried.
Yes. here's n bag OF gold.
saw two boxes. and expect there
are others In the sand"
And We cant hold on' It's dew
llish luck. sayl still I'm COINS
10 make a Try
CHARGING at tho sea, Jimmy shook
his head. Moran, coming aft. fel,
the bag and looked at the diving
ciess with longing. but he support
&C Jimmy's decision.
Il surely don't want to light out
but Wen have to get sail on her. 1"
Then they set tho small storm
jib. and tho Cetacea drove away
bsfore tho sea for the sheltered
blight
They were too tenseiy strung ar
10 talk much after supper. for the
weight OF the bag was sufficient &c
indicate the value OF its contents
and they thought IL better not &c
break the seals.
IL was daybrcak when Jimmy
was awakened by an unusual sound
Moran was sleeping soundly. but
when Jimmy shook him he sudden
ly became wide awake.
What IN IT." Jimmy asked
quickly.
ice: splitting on her stem. &c,
your slicker on. I'm going out"
What they saw sent Jimmy bach
In hurry 10 rouse Bethune, and
| they lost no time in filling the
s,oop's beRkers with water from
the spring and heading out toward
the wreck. The bay was full OF
floating ice and Moran said they
would have time to 20 down only
once more for tho gold before
heading out to sea unless they
wanted to be caught by the ice
Certainly they could not return &c
tho blight.
They dropped anchor beside the
wreck early In the afternoon.
Bethune was the first to 20 down
When he came up after an unusu
ally long stay. he reported that he
had been unable TO extricate tn,
nearest box, tho he had cleared
the sand from before 1t before he
was forced to ascend.
Jimmy took his place and worked
savagely, dragging out the box and
moving II toward the bulkhead, but
he could not lift It thru the open
ing.
At last he went up.
I'VE have got 10 quit" said Mo
ran despondentiy. when Jimmy re
ported his failure. But surely
want that box"
You shall have II. II can get
the sling on" Bethune replied
Help me on with the dress ~
quick as You can"
He flung hasty glance about
A long raft OF ice with ragged
edges was drifting nearer.
1T looks as II had to finish the
job this time he said with harsh
laugh. II no longer have the chear
hotel to fall back on"
When he had been down for
some time. Jimmy. turning the
pump in obedience TO the pluckine
OF the signal line. began 10 won,