To those on deck the sight was curious in the extreme, for,
foreshortened by the clear medium through which they gazed, the diver
seemed like some hideous water-goblin, with an enormous head, creeping
about on the yellow sand.
But interesting as it was to those on deck, it was perhaps more so to
Dutch, who, as soon as he had assumed his helmet and began to descend,
threw off all thought of his domestic troubles by a strong effort of his
will, and, feeling that the success or ill-success of the expedition
depended upon him, he set to work eagerly to solve the question of the
treasure. He had been down too many times to feel nervous, but, all the
same, an unwonted tremor, which he ascribed to disease, oppressed him as
he slowly went down from round to round; but as he reached the bottom
this also passed off, and finding that he was well supplied with air,
and that all worked well, he began to consider how he should act. This
confidence arose in a great measure from the knowledge that both Mr
Parkley and old Rasp were watching over his safety, and feeling that his
knife could be easily drawn from his belt, he began to look about him.
All was beautifully clear; and though the motion of his heavy boots
stirred up the sand, it sank down again directly without thickening the
water. A few yards away was the ladder, and above it, with the air-tube
and two ropes plainly seen running up, was the schooner, casting a dark
shadow on to the bottom. Even his own shadow was cast behind him, and
it seemed as if he were only walking in a medium of thickened air. He
could even make out the faces of those gazing over the side, but in a
blurred, distorted way, for the bright bubbles of air that ran up in a
stream made the water seem heavy overhead, though all around it was
clearness itself.
His first thoughts were naturally of the sharks, but he could see
nothing to fear, though he had made up his mind if one should attack him
to take advantage of its sluggish action, and, instead of trying to
escape, thrust boldly at the monster with his knife.
As he was looking about there was a flash of many colours through the
water, and then it seemed as if the gold and silver ingots he had come
in search of had become animated, for a shoal of fish, whose scales were
burnished metal in appearance, suddenly darted about him, coming close
up to his helmet as he remained stationary, as if in wonder at his
appearance; but on his raising his arm there was a rush, the water
quivered for a moment, and, like streaks of the rich metals he sought,
they disappeared.
So beautiful was the scene around him--the soft sunshine, the delicious
tint of the water, and the long vistas in the distance of wondrous sea
growths, which ran up six, twelve, and fourteen feet towards the
surface, all aglow with the most lovely tints--that the desire was
strong upon him to walk on beyond the portion of the bottom that had
been swept by the dynamite, and gaze upon the various natural objects
around. But he had sterner work on hand, and set himself to investigate
the appearance of the old hull, in whose interior he was.
For he found now that what had seemed short stumps of blackened wood
were some of them six or eight feet high; and that while the upper
portions were encrusted with grey shelly matter, the lower were of an
intense black, and these had evidently been forcibly denuded by the
sweeping away of the sand.
As he moved forward, he gave a twitch or two at the life-line to signal
all well; and then had to make the signal that he required more air. An
increased supply of the life-giving stream was forced down directly,
and, raising his spade, he began to investigate the place more closely.
In an instant the bottom seemed to have become alive, for curious
flat-fish, whose sides assimilated so strangely to the sand, in which
they lay half buried, rose at every step, making little clouds, and
going off with a peculiar undulating motion to settle down again, flick
the sand and tiny stones over their sides by a peculiar motion of their
broad fins, and the next minute they had become invisible.
As to the wreck, there was not much to see beyond the rows of rib
timbers on either hand, while where he stood was there nothing but sand,
which covered the whole of the interior, though now, probably through
the explosions, it was in hillocks, with their accompanying depressions.
Knowing that those above must be anxiously watching, he thrust the spade
down into the bottom and began to dig slowly and with great excitement,
to find that the tool penetrated easily through; and as he raised the
sand, and placed it on one side, it softly flowed back again.
"I ought to have brought an iron rod to probe with," he thought to
himself, as he gave the spade another thrust down, to find that nothing
obstructed him, when he became aware of a dull shock, and he was thrown
down, for the water seemed to rush by him with considerable violence.
The next moment there was a violent pull at the life-line, and he was
raised from his feet in a most uncomfortable position; and, but for a
sudden snatch at his signal-cord to signify "All right," one which he
repeated again and again, he would have been drawn to the surface.
In obedience to his signals, the rope was slackened, but he had hardly
recovered himself when it was tightened once more, and but for his
vigorous snatch to show that he wanted no assistance, those on the
schooner's deck would have drawn him to the surface. He knew well
enough now what was the meaning of the shock, and felt how necessary it
was for a diver to be full of the calm nerve and courage of a man ready
to battle with difficulties, for his safety depended entirely upon his
taking the dangers he encountered in the coolest manner.
The conclusion was evidently due to the firing of a dynamite cartridge,
but, in spite of this, here was the reason for their trying to drag him
to the surface, in the shape of something dim and large approaching him
slowly, and apparently without effort. As he saw it at first coming end
on, it seemed to him like some very short, thick fish, but as it neared
him, and grew more distinct, it swerved off to his right, and his heart
beat fast as he saw from its altered position that it was a shark seven
or eight feet long.
He signalled again, "More air--all right," and the tightening life-rope
slackened as he drew the long, keen-bladed knife from its wooden sheath.
It was a terrible weapon, with a fine point, and about eighteen inches
long beyond the handle, while its two edges were ground as sharp as a
razor. Armed with this he awaited the coming of the shark, feeling that
to it he must prove as he looked, a monster as deadly in his power. For
Dutch agreed that to leave the field on this first encounter with one of
the creatures that infested these waters was to confess to himself that
he was beaten, and morally to consent to a defeat of their project,
while could he nerve himself to boldly meet the attack, and so disable
his enemy by skilful tactics as to kill it, or compel its retreat, he
would give himself so much confidence, and Rasp as well, that they would
in the future have little compunction in descending, and scarcely any
fear of their dangerous enemies.
"If I fail," he said to himself bitterly; "well, it is a horrible death,
but why should I mind dying? I have nothing to live for now."
"Bah! Dying," he went on, mastering his trepidation, and feeling a
savage energy of will. "I, a man with reasoning powers, with ingenuity
enough to help to invent the apparatus by which I can stay down here and
meet this creature with arms in my hand in his own element. Pooh! it is
absurd. I shall--I will kill it."
He had plenty of time to think, and he had once more to impatiently
signal "All right," for he became aware of a tightening of the
life-line, while the shark, with its curious, crafty look, undulated by
him, its long, unequally-lobed tail waving softly as it nearly passed
him with the greatest apparent ease, turned, sailed back some little
distance, and then turned once more as if to pass him on the other side.
"That is where he has the advantage," thought Dutch, as he saw the ease
with which the creature glided along, on about a level with the top of
his helmet, and knew for his own part what an effort it needed for him
to move through the water.
He felt very little alarm now in the excitement of these moments, and as
he watched the shark's manoeuvres he grew more and more determined to
make this the test of the future. He had often read of how the South
Sea Islanders made no scruple about bathing where there were sharks, and
how ready they were to attack them in their own element, while protected
as he was on head, back, neck, and breast, by his copper armour and
weights, he felt that it would be cowardly to retreat.
"Poor thing! I hope she cannot see me now," he muttered, as for a
fleeting moment his thoughts reverted to Hester. Then, with set teeth
and knit brows, he waited the coming of the shark, feeling that his one
most vulnerable point was the air-tube, and dreading lest the creature
should make a snap at that in passing. For either that or the
continuous stream of bright air bubbles had evidently excited its
attention, and for a few moments it swam up eight or ten feet, giving
Dutch a good view of its white under-portions, and the great gash of a
mouth that seemed as if formed by one cut of a large knife.
The creature came down again, though, directly, in the most leisurely
way gazing full now at the helmet, and, poising itself almost motionless
in the water, it remained gazing straight at him while Dutch awaited the
attack.
This was not long in coming, for the shark, after altering its position
once or twice, and descending to about the level of the young man's
shoulders, made a forward movement, but with no great rapidity, and
Dutch gave a sharp signal once more, to ensure liberty of action before
the shark, as it came gliding through the clear water as if to seize his
left arm, rolled softly over on its side, opened its great jaws, which
glistened with saw-like teeth, and was in the act of closing them, when,
with a thrust like lightning, Dutch buried his knife to the haft between
the monster's pectoral fins, which offered a fair mark, dragged it out,
and prepared to strike again.
As the blade entered its yielding body the shark gave a spasmodic jerk
and shot straight up, with the water becoming tinged with a ruddy hue,
but, turning, it darted down once more, leaving a red trail behind it,
and again made to attack.
There was a sudden tightening of the life-line, but Dutch met it with
the signal, "All right," just before the shark once more approached,
turned over to seize him, and again received the full length of the
blade, while as the monster darted forward and dragged itself free it
was at the expense of so fearful a gash that a cloud of blood darkened
the water, the shark struggled feebly for a few minutes, and then
floated, belly up, to the surface.
Dutch gave his knife a wave or two through the water to remove the
blood, replaced it in his belt, and stood gazing up at the ruddy cloud
above his head for a few moments, gave a signal or two with the rope
such as would show them on deck that he was unhurt, and, stooping down,
once more took his spade to try the sand.
It was with a strange feeling of elation that he resumed his task,
knowing now, as he did, that by the exercise of ordinary courage a man
might readily defend himself from any of these monsters. In fact, so
far from feeling alarm now, he was ready to encounter another whenever
it might appear; but now the only one in sight was the creature floating
far above his head, and more distinctly seen each moment, for the ruddy
cloud was becoming rapidly diffused, and the outline of the schooner's
hull and the ladder, which had seemed misty and dull, were now well
defined and plain to see.
Dutch now began to feel that he must soon ascend once more, but not
wishing to do so without making some discovery, he thrust down the spade
here and there, in all directions, but encountered nothing. It was
evident that if the treasure existed, it must be far below the sand that
had gone on accumulating for centuries.
There was one place, though, that he had not tried, and that was the
depression scooped out by the dynamite, a spot which he had reserved to
the last. Wading here, then, a task which necessitated his passing
right under the schooner and farther from the ladder than he had yet
been, he began to examine the surface, and detecting nothing, he thrust
down his spade, working it about so as to make it penetrate farther and
farther, but still there was no resistance, and, faint and weary, he was
about to give up when he thought he would try once more.
This he did, thrusting in the spade and forcing it down till his hand
was nearly on a level with the sand, and then--Yes! No! Yes! there was
a slight obstruction.
He forced it down again, his heart beating painfully the while, for here
was the test.
It might be only a copper bolt in the rotten old wood, or a stone; he
might have reached the rock below the sand, but a second thought told
him that the keel must be eight or ten feet lower, and that the touch
was not that of stone or rock. Neither could it be wood. It was either
a metal bolt or that of which he was in search.
Dutch forgot now all about the necessity for ascending; his sole thought
was the sunken treasure, and, working as vigorously as he could in his
cumbersome garments, he shovelled out the sand, though it was a slow and
laborious task, as it kept running back into the hole he made.
Still he dug down more and more till he had made a fair-sized
excavation, when, once more thrusting in the spade, he found it checked
against something, and his heart sank as he fancied that he might have
struck upon a bed of old shells. Still he persevered, not that he
expected to lift that which he touched, but in the hope that he might
reach it more easily, and satisfy himself that he was touching metal.
He was getting quite exhausted, and had already been down far too long.
Nothing but the strong desire to have something definite to say kept him
toiling on, and at last he unwillingly gave up, when something dark
amongst the sand he had thrown out took his attention, and reaching down
he picked up a lump of shells concreted together, and with an impatient
gesture he was about to throw them down again, when it struck him that
they were uncommonly heavy. To an inexperienced man this would have
passed unnoticed, for the difficulty of telling the difference of weight
in so dense a medium as the water was not one easily mastered, but Dutch
had been down too many times not to have a good idea of such matters,
and, checking himself just as he was about to throw the mass down, he
raised it to the front of his helmet.
Shells, shells, nothing but shells of several kinds joined together by
the calcareous deposit of some kind of sea worm; but, all the same, it
was very heavy, and, wrong or right, determining to take the lump up
with him, he turned to go under the schooner and reach the ladder.
For, he argued, those little ingots the Cuban had shown them had shelly
accretion firmly attached, and it was probable that a good deal had been
knocked off. At all events, he must ascend now, and going slowly along,
placing the piece of concrete in a net pouch at his back, he was in the
shadow of the schooner with its keel nearly above his head, when a
peculiar sensation that he knew too well suddenly attacked him. His
head began to swim, blood seemed to gorge the vessels of his eyes, and a
horrible sensation of oppression to attack his chest.
Already exhausted by his too long stay and extra exertion, combined with
the nervous excitement of his fight with the shark, he was not master of
himself, and in spite of his old experience he literally lost his head,
becoming so unnerved that he sank down upon his knees, forgetting his
signal-line, and tugging at the helmet to get it from his head.
One drag at that thin cord should have been sufficient to secure help,
but it was forgotten, even though he touched it with his hands as they
went to his helmet, and to make matters worse, he was kneeling now out
of sight of those on deck; and for the moment all seemed over. He was
blind, for a thick darkness had, as it were, come over him, mentally and
bodily, in the intense horror of the moment, but through that darkness
flashed scene after scene of the past, and he saw Hester, looking young
and beautiful, gazing pityingly down at him, but without stretching out
a hand to save, while, with a smile of triumph upon his countenance,
there stood Laure, the bane of his existence. Then came pleasant
thoughts of his old childish days, mingled with a dull sense of
drowsiness that it was impossible to fight against, and then a reaction,
as Dutch made a violent effort to reach his feet, but only to sink down
prone upon his face.
For though, like some gigantic sea worm, the india-rubber tube meandered
over the sand, out of the shadow of the schooner into the sunshine, and
then straight up towards the surface, the supply of air had stopped!