The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-03-27
Fantorla Diver
y osoaos ". Lswrs


and disappeared downward. The
gray-green water tapped above his
head. few bllster-llke bubbles
danced and exploded In the tiny swirl
that marked his exit. That was all.
The sepulchered Helena was about to
receive q second visitor from the land
Of the living. The slender conduit
that linked the diver with life paid
out rapidly. then suddenly stopped.
and we knew that Harkinson was
aboard the wreck.
"Seventy-one feet" drawled Gar
rick.
"A little pale. wasn't her Queried
wenry, keeping watchful eye on the
line.
Carrick looked over to the speaker
a. though he had expected the Ques-
tion.'
"What d'you s'pose Is wrongf" he
said. The faintest trace Of anxiety
was In his great, slow voice.
Its Connors-I mean the mysterI-
GUS way Connors' air-tube parted" re-
turned Wenry. Il don't believe In
spooks. specially submarine ones but
there ain't no more cause for the At
lantic cable coming In two at this
minute than there was for poor Con-
uors' hosea brand new one. too,
mind you-separatin' ~ Il did. It's
queer"
0arrick. listening. spat renectively
at the last remaining bubble. Watch.
Ing from my seat In the dingey,
knew that the two men. whatever de-
mails they might make. were at last
Impressed with the gruesomeness Of
ehefr chosen profession -dallylng with
dead things under the sea. Mayhap
II was because Connors had been
their tutor. their companion. Indeed,
the old diver had been pretty nearly
everything to them; but he had been
even more to his employers. In his
unaccountable death the world had
lost q masterdiver. and the company
had lost money. But because John
Connors had been Z faithful servant
the company had paid hard nonsy
that the divers harneseweighted 70
mains might be the nrst brought up
Harkinson's signal "up" was Of thai
nervous. hurry-up sort that tells o.
sudden distress. He had been dowr
but three minutes. At . simila: deptl
he usually remained thirty or mors
for he was I Hercules, and for hin
waterpressure had no terrors.
knew that Wenry, af least-thougI
for no good rsason-fully expected d
see the big diver come up limp en-
dead. read bis white face like print
But when big Harkinson's helms
bobbed out Of water q moment later
both his big red hands were clutchint
at the raft a. frantically ~ II som'
pursuing monster were about TO drai
him down to death.
When his helmet was on. hls foe'
showed mottled sud chalky. Th'
spluttered- meaningless fragment
Of speech, and his eyes were fixed II
terrified stare. Garrick forced hal
. pint Of whisky down his throat be
fore anything like coherency could b,
restored.
Hes down there-boys Counors I
The diver clapped bis hands over III
eyes ~ II to shut out some hide0u
recurring vision. "Oh. Lord" b.
walled, 'think--think Of the harness
Connors. dead sixty--sixty hours
walking and beckoning1"
Harkinson's great strength snappe'
like Z reed under the strain. and h
dropped forward upon bis face. IN
conscious.
When Garrick consented to 80 dow
to the Helena, ! knew that II was b.
cause he needed money-neededl /
badly. Garrick. unavoidably. hn
long been idle; besides. he was On
gagged. and the girl was pretty an
worthy; and the big. slow-spoken dive
knew that he must prepare suitabl
home for her. He was Of good. hon
est sort, was Garrick. and courageous
too. But had watched his face .
Harkinson, his nerves shattered. RI
lated from a sick bed his uncanny ex
perience aboard the sunken Helena
and thus had come to know that
badly a. Garrick needed money. h
needed courage more. II he would sut
coed where Harklnson had failed
The thing was on bis nerves. righ
enough; but saw the grip Of hi
\ big jaw. and knew that be was ID
desd going down. even though b
might not come up.
There was lot Of wreckags pile
up about the cabln-door." Harkinso
had told us. land had to squat .
low ~ I could to pass under Il. A
! raised up. inside the cabin-Cor
nors-dead sixty hours-got up OF
bench nxed to the opposite wall q
the cabin. and came to meet me. Sc,
enty-one feet under the see with
ghost C0nnOrs-yes. II was him. .
right-suddenIy stopped and threw U
his hands AZ though recognition {
me startled him. He wore his sam
divers outfit-the kind we all an
After . moment his arms fell llmpl