DIVING FOR REWARDS.
“There goes the little beggar again!”
“What a clean dive!”
“Yes; he is grace itself. But say, Clif----”
“He’s got it. Hurray! He catch dime plenty well. Hi! here another.”
“You are getting mighty liberal with your money, Trolley.”
“I no care. It worth dollar to see diving like that. Hi! you little
boy, here some more.”
The group of naval cadets were leaning over the port railing on the
forecastle of _Monongahela_.
It was shortly after quarters on a Saturday morning, and the trim old
frigate was riding easily at anchor in the Tagus River just off the
main landing dock of Lisbon, Portugal.
After a truly eventful voyage from Annapolis she had finally arrived in
port, and the one hundred and sixty odd cadets on board were waiting
eagerly for the time when they could have a run ashore.
The necessary formalities of port inspection had been gone through
with, and the ship was in a gala attire aloft and alow in anticipation
of the visit always paid an American vessel by the youth and beauty of
quaint old Lisbon.
Boats filled with merry parties were coming from the dock even now, and
the appearance of many pretty girls in them was beginning to take the
cadets’ attention away from a previous attraction.
That attraction was the diving of a number of native boys after coins
thrown from the ship. Alongside were half a dozen small and rickety
boats occupied by the agile young divers.
They were continually importuning the cadets to toss bits of silver or
copper money into the water.
One, a lithe, clean-limbed lad of about sixteen, was the leader of
the party, and it was his clever diving which had wrung the words of
admiration from Trolley, given at the commencement of this chapter.
The diversion of watching the divers began to grow monotonous after a
while.
“The little beggars are pretty good, but their act palls on one,”
yawned Toggles, stretching his arms.
“Did you hear anything about the liberty list, Clif?” asked Grat
Wallace, with a yearning glance ashore.
“It isn’t made up yet, I believe. We won’t touch the dock until
afternoon anyway.”
“And we have got to be back by ten o’clock,” grumbled Nanny.
“Always kicking, always finding trouble,” sighed Joy, with a doleful
shake of the head. “Why can’t you be peaceable and contented like me,
youngster? It’s painful to a man of meek and lowly spirit to see such
contention and strife. If you don’t like the way they conduct liberty
on this ship, why don’t you knock the blooming head off the executive
officer? Act with due humility and beat the face off the captain.”
The others laughed. They understood Joy.
“I say, Clif, look there,” suddenly spoke up Trolley. “Here comes what
you call peach.”
He nodded his head toward a couple of young ladies who were approaching
from aft. They had formed part of a visiting party from shore and were
strolling about the deck intent on inspecting the ship after their own
fashion.
Both were very pretty, but one, a tall and rather willowy brunette,
was particularly handsome. A wealth of lustrous black hair fell to
her shoulders; her eyes were large and sparkling, and her lips, half
parted, showed two rows of regular, pearly teeth.
She was smiling at something her companion had said as they neared the
group of plebes, and the boys fairly gasped at her loveliness.
Clif eyed her furtively, his heart beating more rapidly than usual. His
expressive countenance proclaimed his strong admiration, and that must
have been the reason why the beautiful girl blushed slightly as she met
his ardent gaze.
The girls stopped at the forecastle railing and looked over at the
diver boys below.
They laughed, and one--the lovelier of the two--held up a small coin.
All the youthful divers prepared to spring into the water as soon as
the bit of money left her hand. The lithe young leader poised himself
upon the very edge of his boat.
“Ready!” called out the girl in Portuguese. “It is a hundred _reis_
piece, so do your best.”
She gleefully waved her hand back and forth, then, just as she was
about to release the coin, something bright and glittering slipped from
her wrist and fell into the water.
It was a bracelet.
A little scream came from the girl, there was a commotion among the
group of plebes, then one was seen to vault lightly over the rail and
strike the water in a neat dive.
It was Clif!
In an instant there was great excitement on board the practice ship.
The loud splash was heard fore and aft, and a rush was made for that
side.
Some one raised a cry of “Man overboard!”
The officer of the deck sprang upon the gangway with a life-preserver,
and the crew detailed to the lifeboat ran to their stations at the
boatfalls.
And in the meantime the cause of all this commotion was experiencing a
rather peculiar adventure.
Clif possessed to a remarkable degree the power of quick decision and
action in cases of emergency. He seldom required more than a few
seconds to make up his mind.
In the present case he was upon the rail and preparing to dive almost
before the bracelet had touched the water. With all his promptness, he
was not alone, however.
The young Portuguese boy--the chief spirit among the youthful
divers--had also seen the flash of metal.
To him it meant a coveted reward, and his brown heels twinkled in the
air just a second after Clif’s body left the top of the forecastle rail.
The two went under the water together.
Clif’s eyes opened after he vanished below the surface. He saw,
glittering below him, the bespangled bracelet. And he also saw the dark
shadow cast by his antagonist.
Of the two the native lad was probably more at home in the water, but
Faraday had a store of determination and grit which made up for it.
As soon as he espied the youngster he realized the true state of
affairs, and he sent his feet up with a spurt that shot him toward the
glittering bauble.
It was a race beneath the surface of the old Tagus.
The Portuguese boy had as an incentive two things. One was the hope
of a pecuniary reward, and the other an overwhelming desire to defeat
this insolent visitor from a foreign country who dared to try his skill
against a native diver of Lisbon.
As for Clif, what was his incentive?
A smile, that was all.
The bottom of the Tagus is easily reached by a few vigorous strokes.
The bracelet had settled upon the bottom where it glittered and gleamed
as if mocking the two lads.
Clif, by his spurt, had obtained a slight advantage, but he suddenly
felt himself grasped about the waist.
He was just in the act of reaching for the bracelet when the
interruption came.
The touch of the Portuguese lad’s hand acted like a spur upon him, and
he made a desperate clutch downward.
His fingers closed over the bit of jewelry, then with a wriggle and a
savage kick he freed himself and shot toward the surface.
As he rose, gasping and spluttering, his rival was close beside him.
Through the water streaming from his hair Clif caught sight of the
boy’s face, and he marveled at the intensity of hatred it expressed.
“I pay you for dis!” almost screamed the Portuguese. “You come ashore
and I kill you. Dog of a Yankee, you hear from Pedro! You see.”
“Calm yourself, my friend,” drawled Clif, coolly, as he struck out for
the gangway. “Don’t get excited; it is bad for the health. Ta! ta!”
Pedro swam to his little boat and crouched sullenly in the stern. His
companions crowded around him and chattered like so many monkeys, but
he waved them off, and watched with burning eyes the progress of the
American lad toward the gangway ladder.
A loud cheer burst from the plebes on the forecastle as Clif held up
the bracelet. The two pretty girls clapped their hands, and the one who
had dropped the piece of jewelry seemed overwhelmed with confusion.
When Clif reached the deck he found both the first lieutenant and the
officer of the watch awaiting him.
“What is the meaning of this, Mr. Faraday?” demanded the former,
peremptorily.
Clif held up the bracelet, and replied, quietly:
“A young lady visiting the ship dropped this overboard, sir.”
The officers were compelled to smile.
“And you dived for it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Which young lady was it?”
Faraday turned and indicated the owner of the bracelet, who was walking
aft with her companion.
“Jove! I don’t blame the young rascal,” muttered the first lieutenant.
“She’s a beauty.”
Extending his hand, he added, aloud:
“It was a gallant act, Mr. Faraday, and it does you credit, but it
probably would have been better if you had left the job to one of those
boy divers. I will return the bracelet to the young lady.”
But Clif hung back.
“Want the pleasure yourself, eh?” laughed Lieutenant Watson. “Well, you
deserve it.”
That was Clif’s opinion also, and he lost no time in claiming his
reward. He did not present a very prepossessing appearance in his
dripping uniform, but he held his head jauntily and advanced to meet
the girl.
His fear that she spoke only Portuguese was speedily dissipated.
Extending her hands impulsively, she exclaimed, with an accent which
added to the charm of her silvery voice:
“Oh, how I thank you for your kindness, señor! You have dared so much
to save my poor bracelet. It was so good of you.”
“I am amply repaid,” replied Clif, gallantly. Then he added, with a
smile: “You must pardon my rather moist appearance. The water was not
altogether dry.”
“We will not keep you,” said the girl, hurriedly. “You should change
your clothing.”
As Clif bowed and started to walk away, she blushed slightly and said:
“My parents will consider it a pleasure if you should call upon them.
My name”--she extended a neat card--“and address. Can we not hope to
see you soon?”
“I will be pleased to call when I go ashore,” replied the handsome
young cadet. “Until then--good-by.”
As he walked forward he saw Judson Greene standing near the spot where
the conversation had taken place.
“So Judson has been listening, eh?” thought the latter as he walked
past. “He don’t look particularly pleased. Jealous, I suppose.”
He glanced at the bit of pasteboard in his hand and read:
JUANITA WINDOM,
Ruo Ferdinand No. 78.
“Windom?” he muttered. “Why, that’s an English name. Her father must be
either English or American. That accounts for her excellent command of
the language. This is getting more interesting.”
His thoughts were interrupted by a shout, and he found himself
surrounded by his friends. They were all laughing gayly except Joy,
whose funereal cast of countenance seemed to have increased.
“Hi, Clif!” cried Trolley, slapping him upon the back, “by Jim, you
great hero. Hurray! you save bracelet and win beautifulist girl in
Lisbon. You one dandy.”
“Slowly there, Trolley,” laughed Clif; “I don’t see where I have won a
girl.”
“She likes you; I saw her blush,” put in Nanny Gote. “Just you wait,
Clif Faraday. I’ll tell Tess Herndon back in Annapolis all about this
affair. I’d be ashamed of myself if I were you.”
“That’s straight,” chuckled Grat Wallace. “He’s getting to be a
regular masher. He’s not content to keep the upper classes guessing
about hazing, and saving torpedo boats at sea, and such little things,
but he needs must----”
He dodged to escape a blow from Clif’s hand, and darted in high glee to
the forecastle.
“Better go down and get those wet duds off,” advised Toggles. “You’ll
look better.”
“Clif Faraday, what is the matter with the diver boy?” demanded Joy,
solemnly. “He’s looking at this ship as if he would like to eat it.”
Clif glanced out through the nearest port. Pedro was still crouched in
the stern of his little boat.
He gave a howl of anger on catching sight of Faraday, and added, with a
choice collection of Portuguese epithets:
“Wait till I catch you on shore. I fix you. I make you sorry you dive.
You see, dog of a Yankee.”
“He seems excited,” observed Clif, calmly. “His mind must have given
way under the strain, poor fellow----”
Nanny stooped and snatched up a wet swab. Flung with unerring aim, it
caught the vociferous lad in the face and bowled him over with neatness
and dispatch.
A laugh greeted the shot. It was followed by cries of rage from the
half-dozen diver boys in their little boats alongside the ship.
Pedro, the leader, gave a signal, and the flotilla paddled toward the
dock. Clif went below to change his clothing, after a last glance in
Juanita Windom’s direction, and the episode was closed save for one
thing.
Standing near one of the open ports was Judson Greene. With him was
Spendly.
“Did you see that Portuguese, Spendly?” asked Judson, in an eager voice.
“Yes.”
“Hear what he said?”
“He threatened Faraday.”
“Yes. Well, there’s a chance for us, I think.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ll go ashore and see if we can’t use that fellow, Pedro, to help us
get square.”
An hour later word was passed that the liberty party would leave for
shore at once.