“No luck that time, lads,” the skipper went on to say, as soon as they
detached the big heavy helmet that had been securely fastened to its
base, resting on his shoulders. “I scoured every part of the old hulk
I could reach, but it seems that in all these years the bars have been
knocked about, and perhaps many of them are buried deep under the sand
if they ever got outside the shell of the wreck.”
Now was Oscar’s chance to mention what he had on his mind.
“I’d like to take a turn down below, Captain, if you don’t object,” he
said.
The skipper looked at him quizzically.
“I’d be only too glad of the chance for a new recruit, if only you knew
the ropes, lad,” he observed seriously. “Both of my men are tired out,
and need a spell of rest. It’s no child’s play to stay down there an
hour at hard work.”
“But I have been down in a diver’s suit before,” protested Oscar.
“You don’t tell me!” ejaculated Captain Shooks; “well, it’d be hard
to run across any sort of game you boys haven’t tried. Where did it
happen, lad?”
Oscar explained in as few words as possible.
“So you see I know a little about the business,” he continued,
believing he had made some sort of an impression on the commander. “I
would promise to be very careful, and not take any unnecessary risks.
So say yes, Captain. There is just time between now and sunset for
a little look around, and I want to see what the inside of the old
Spanish galleon is like.”
Captain Shooks smiled as though a pleasant thought had flashed through
his mind. These Motion Picture Comrades had a great record for being
lucky. Many things they had told him connected with their previous
exploits pointed to that as a positive fact. Hence, it might be a wise
thing for him to let one of them take a hand in searching the old
wreck. If that little cherub aloft that seemed to be guarding their
fortunes continued on the job, possibly something fine might come out
of the “little look-in” Oscar declared he wanted.
“Well, have your own way, lad, have your own way,” he told Oscar; “only
if you do get into any trouble don’t try to shove the blame on to me.”
“Everything will work all right, Captain, I promise you that,” said
the boy, who felt a thrill pass over him at the thought of being about
to go down, just as these veteran divers had been doing, and prowling
around there amidst that strange waving growth, where all sorts of
queer creatures might have their abiding places.
And then there was the old hulk of the Spanish galleon, too, with all
its romantic association; Oscar wondered whether he would run across
any grisly reminder of the fact that human beings once walked that
sloping deck, and that they had gone down centuries back with the
ancient ship to an ocean grave.
The two divers had listened to all this talk with more or less
interest. They knew that if the captain figured they should work
throughout the night, taking turns, they would have all they could
reasonably do; and if Oscar was able to “spell” them as he suggested
doing it would be something gained. Besides this, they had come to
take a great interest in the trio of venturesome chums, having, with
considerable interest, heard them tell of their previous undertakings.
They commenced rigging the boy up in the suit worn by Hicks, the first
man who had gone down. As they worked they told Oscar many things, both
with regard to how he should manage the air pipe, and the life line.
Besides this they explained to him as well as was possible, just how
the wreck lay, and what he must do in order to keep from getting caught
in the same.
Finnegan, a warm-hearted Irishman, also told the boy where he had
discovered the three bars which came up by rope.
“Sure the trend all sames to be in thot direction, me bye,” he
concluded, as he got ready to affix the headpiece that would complete
Oscar’s diving armor. “Look beyant the place where I set three stones,
wan on top av the rist. ’Twas mesilf meant to continue me labors in the
same quarrter av I wint down agin.”
“I’ll remember that, Finnegan,” the boy told him thankfully.
Ballyhoo insisted on shaking hands with Oscar.
“Look here, don’t get the notion in your head,” the latter told him,
laughingly, “that it’s good-bye this time for good. I expect to come
up again in good shape. If you keep your head about you there’s little
danger, Hicks says.”
“One thing I hope is that you don’t happen to run across a man-eating
shark while you’re down below,” Ballyhoo went on to say, with a
shudder; for he could not forget the close call he himself had passed
through. “We saw a whopping big pirate swimming around, you remember,
when we were hunting for the wreck; besides that pair we watched
scrapping.”
Apparently what he said did not deter Oscar in the least. He had
learned just the course he must pursue in case a shark did come around,
and act as though too curious regarding the unwieldy creature prowling
about the wreck. And both divers had assured him there was little need
of anxiety.
So presently he started over the side of the float. The sun was just
about an hour above the western horizon, so that he would not have any
great amount of time to do his looking about.
It was a queer feeling that assailed the boy when the sea waters closed
over his head, and he continued to descend step by step, following the
ladder down into the depths.
Presently he reached the terminus of the structure. When he lowered
his foot again it encountered only empty space. Thereupon he gave the
signal to those on the float that he was about to swing off, after
which he lowered himself, making use of his hands upon each round until
in the end he was being sustained simply by the life line.
Down he continued to go foot after foot, with more or less of a rotary
motion. When it seemed as though he must have descended dozens of
yards, all at once Oscar discovered by the aid of the faint light
penetrating to those depths that he was hovering over a patch of the
waving greenish white growth that could pass under the name of sea
ferns.
Another few seconds and he felt his feet strike the ground. Here his
first duty was to straighten out the lines, so that his pipe might not
get foul, cutting off the flow of fresh air that was being pumped down
to him from the raft. After that he commenced to look around, using the
electric torch, which had been placed in his hand before the start.
Before him in one particular quarter he discovered a dim object rearing
up, and which he realized must be the long sought hulk of the ancient
galleon. Toward this he immediately proceeded, trying to remember the
distinct directions given by the divers, by following which he would
most likely save himself considerable trouble in gaining entrance to
the old vessel.
Now he was clambering up the sloping deck, taking advantage of the
several devices which those experienced campaigners had arranged to
facilitate this entry, knowing how often it must be repeated in the
course of their labors.
Then the yawning cavity lay before him, being what at one time had
stood for the companionway, by means of which the cabin under the
stern deck of the ship could be reached. Time and the action of the
waters in these cycles of years had demolished parts of the original
superstructure of the ship, so that it was difficult to tell just what
parts of it still remained intact. But having been coached by the
divers, Oscar felt sure of his ground.
He looked carefully about him, first of all. This was partly to
familiarize himself with his surroundings, so that he might not by any
accident get lost while carrying out his investigations. After that he
boldly swung himself loose, and commenced to drop into the interior of
the vessel.
It was always necessary to drag his air hose after him, and be very
vigilant in order to make sure that no injury befell the same; also to
see that the life line did not become entangled so that if he suddenly
needed either to send a signal up or be drawn forth bodily himself
there would be nothing to interfere.
He saw many things, but nothing of an awe-inspiring nature. Doubtless
there may have been ghastly reminders of the tragedy that had overtaken
the treasure-ship, but the ceaseless eddying of the water to and fro,
in and out of the wreck, had long ago hidden them from view.
Oscar had figured on enlarging upon the plan spoken of by the diver.
He believed that the oscillation of the hulk would gradually move
the heavy ingots of precious metal in a certain general direction.
Accordingly, he kept continually on the watch to find the three stones
piled on top of one another in the shape of a cairn, or marking spot.
When presently he discovered this, he knew he was on the right track.
After that it was only necessary for him to keep pushing ahead,
entering upon the region that, owing to lack of time, the diver had not
yet explored.
Then he tripped over something that felt solid. Hastily turning the
soft glow of his waterproof electric torch down, what was his joy to
find that his suspicions were confirmed, and that he had actually come
upon another of those brick-like objects for which they were searching.
Encouraged by this success, Oscar pushed further on. He soon found a
second, which he succeeded in placing alongside the first. At the same
time he knew he would not have much more time to continue his search,
for it was exhausting work, especially to one unaccustomed to wearing
all that heavy material in the way of suit, headpiece, and shoes with
leaden soles that ordinarily would seem as though they weighed a ton,
though when in the water this result was neutralized.
When he came upon a third ingot amidst the rubbish that had collected
in the lower part of the hulk, Oscar decided he must give up the
search. To carry these three heavy articles to the outside of the wreck
took considerable time. Here he managed to get them safe inside the
stout sack designed for that special purpose, after which he gave the
signal that he was to be hauled up.
It was time, for he felt his head spinning, and a terrible yearning
seize him for fresh air. Indeed, it seemed to Oscar that never in all
his life had his tortured lungs drawn in a sweeter breath than when the
headpiece was finally unfastened, and he saw the faces of his chums
about him.
“Say, you were nearly all in, old scout,” said Ballyhoo sympathetically.
“Pull up the sack!” was all Oscar could gasp, and as the men finished
doing this task, to disclose the three prizes the amateur diver had
drawn in the lottery, Jack and Ballyhoo shook hands together, while
Oscar managed to regain enough breath to add: “And I believe there are
more of the same kind still down there in the old hulk, only I don’t
want the job of going after them. It was awful being in that slimy
place, with all sorts of giant crabs, and strange sea creatures staring
at me, and sliding past, wriggling as they went. But still I’m glad I
had the experience.”