The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-08-30

Clay suggested with an ironical
smile. However, | will admit
you deserve some sympathy"
For that matter, we both
need it. You're no better of
than | am"
They strolled along the beach
for a while, and then went back
to the others.
While Clay traced her move
ments as far as they could he
learned the Cetacea met with baf-
fling winds that brought with
them piercing rawness from the
polar ice. Her crew again grew
anxious and moody. The open
water season was short.
1t took them weeks to dig away
the sand. Then one night Jimmy
was cooking supper when Moran
called him up on deck and point
ed seward.
"See that?" he said. "Seems
to me we've got notice to quit"
Searching the western horizon
Jimmy made out a family glim-
mering patch of white. and he
recognized 1t as a floe of thick
northern ice."
EYES," he answered gravely;
"we'll have to hurry now"
They spent the next week at
lacking the bulkhead. They lost
no time, but the work was heavy,
and tried them hard.
1t was late in. the afternoon
and blowing fresh enough to
make diving risky, when Jimmy
prepared to go down for what he
hoped would be the last attempt.
The long swell had broken into
short, white-topped combers. over
which the sloop plunged, strain
ing hard at her cables.
"We might hold on for another
hour" Bethune said hopefully;
but breaking off he pointed out
to sea. "That settles it," he add
ed. IF it's any way possible, we
must cut the bulkhead tonight
A tall. glimmering shape crept
out of the fog about a mile away.
1t came smoothly forward with
the tide, another mass in it's wake.
The men gazed at them with anx-
ious faces; then Jimmy held out
his hand for the helmet.
They'll ground before they
reach us. but the sooner | get to
work the better" he said.
A bent iron plate hung from a
tottering beam when he crawled
up to the after-end of the hold
and he savsgely tried to wrench
It out with a bar. The effort
taxed his strength, but when he
felt that he could keep it up nc
longer the timber yielded and he
fell forward into the gap.
Lifting his electric lamp, he
saw that the floor was deep in
sand; and out of the sand two
wooden boxes projected. He
found that he could not DRAG
them clear, and it seemed impos-
sible to remove them without
some tackle, but in cropping about
he came upon a bag.
He sat still for moment oil
two, his heart beating with exult-
ant excitement. 1t looked as il
wealth were within his grasp.
The effects of the continued
pressure made themselves felt
and Jimmy hastily picked his way
out of the hold and up the lad
der, and Bethune released him
from his canvas dress, and lifted
the bag.
You got in?" he cried.
Yes; here's bag of gold.
saw two boxes, and expect there
are others in the sand"
And we can't hold on! It's
devilish luck, l say! Still I'm go
ing to make a try"
CHANGING at the sea, Jimmy
shook his head. Moran, coming
aft, felt the bag and looked at the
diving dress with longing. but he
supported Jimmy's decision.
II surely don't want to light
out, but we'll have to get sail on
her."
Then they set the small storm
jib, and the Cetacea drove away
before the sea for the sheltered
blight.
They were too tensely strung
UP to talk much after supper, fol-
the weight Of the bag was suffi'
cient to indicate the value of it,
contents, and they thought it bet
ter not to break the seals.
II was daybreak when Jimmy
was awakened by an unusua
sound. Moran was sleepins
soundly, but when Jimmy SHOOT
him he suddenly became widt
awake.
What is it," Jimmy asked
quickly.
"Ice; splitting on her stem
Get your slicker on; I'm goint
out"
What they saw sent Jimm!
back in hurry to rouse Bethuns
and they lost no time in fillini
the sloop's beakers with watel
from the spring and heading GU
toward the wreck. The bay wa
full OF floating ice and Moran
said they would have time to g,
down only once more for the golt
before heading out TO sea unless
they wanted to be caught by thu
ice. Certainly they could not re
turn to the blight.
They dropped anchor besid,
the wreck early In the afternoon