CHAPTER XII.
IN A DIVING SUIT.
THE old sailor stared at Charley as though he feared the lad had takenleave of his senses.
"Why, you must be crazy," he exclaimed. "You don't know anything aboutthat kind of diving."
"I fancy there is not much to learn about it," Charley replied. "I'vebeen watching the divers closely and it appears very simple. The mainthing seems to be to keep the air hose clear. I've been wanting to godown ever since the first day, and the strange way the crew have actedto-day has decided me to try it. I want to see what it is that has soexcited them."
"It's a fool notion and I ain't going to let you do it," the captainstormed, but Charley only grinned, cheerfully.
"It's no use scolding, Captain, I've quite made up my mind to try it.I've been thinking it over the whole day."
"I say you sha'n't do it," roared the old sailor. "I'll put you inirons first, I'm captain of this schooner."
"But I'm captain of the diving boat," Charley reminded him with a grin,"If anyone interferes with my doings on my own ship it's mutiny, youknow."
"Walt, say something to get him out of that fool notion," pleaded theold sailor, helplessly.
Walter turned to his chum with a twinkle in his eye, "If you go down,I'm going too," he said, decidedly.
"You're two young lunatics," the captain declared, wrathfully. "You'rebound to always run yourselves into danger whenever you get a show.Neither one of you will ever live to see twenty."
But, although he fumed and threatened for a long time, the matterended, as was always the case when the boys had determined upon athing, in his, at last, giving a grudging consent to their plan.
Chris had followed his little friend Ben on deck as soon as he finishedhis supper, but soon after the discussion was ended he returned belowgrumbling.
"Dat white child ain't no fitten company to-night," he declared. "Heacts plum scart to death an' won't talk none tall."
"You go up and stay around the wheel, 'till we come up," the captainordered. "I thought you were there all the time or I'd been up myself,I don't want none of those fellows fooling around the compass."
When Chris had retired, still grumbling, Walter brought out a pad andpencil and handed them to the sailor who had been watching their facesclosely during their animated debate.
The man seized them eagerly and bending over the pad began to drawslowly with awkward, clumsy fingers. When the sketch was finished hetore off the sheet of paper and handed it to Charley whom he seemed torecognize as the real leader of the little party.
The lad examined the sketch with eager interest. "He must be a verycheerful sort of fellow," he remarked, as he passed it to his chum."First, he prophesies a fight with the crew, and, now, he has got usall shipwrecked. Can't say much for his skill with the pencil though;that hulk does not look much like our pretty 'Beauty'."
The rude sketch pictured a forlorn, dismasted wreck, covered withseaweed and with one side badly stove in.
The sailor had immediately commenced upon another picture which he soonpassed over.
The boys looked it over but could not decide what it was intended torepresent.
"It looks like a box full of crackers," Charley said with a grin."Well, if he's decided to have us shipwrecked, it's thoughtful of himto provide us with something to eat."
But the sailor did not seem to regard it as any laughing matter. Hewatched their expressions with a face full of concern, and, whenWalter shook his head to show that he did not understand the sketch, helaid aside the pad with a heavy sigh.
"He has given it up," Charley said. "We had better go to bed, I guesswe have a hard day ahead of us to-morrow."
Chris was recalled from the deck and Walter took his place while theothers turned into their bunks and were soon fast asleep. At midnighthe awakened Charley and at four o'clock Charley was relieved by thecaptain. The watches passed away without any alarm, but one thingstruck both of the lads as being curious. All during their watchesthree or four of the Greeks remained on deck instead of seeking theirbunks as they usually did right after eating supper. They sat aroundup by the forecastle smoking and talking quietly together and the boyscame to the conclusion that they were merely wakeful from the effectsof the liquor they had drank the night before.
The boys looked longingly at the tempting breakfast served by the Greekcook, but as they had decided to make the descent to the bottom thatmorning they were obliged to be content with a cup of coffee.
The captain and Chris followed them aboard the diving boat. "We'regoing with you," the old sailor explained. "It's a risky thing you'replanning to do an' I'd be too nervous and anxious about you to stay onthe schooner. She will be all right without us for a little while."
Manuel seemed to note the presence of the captain and Chris withsatisfaction. Before the boat was shoved off from the schooner, hecalled the cook to the rail and conversed with him a few minutes in lowtones.
But his satisfaction changed to frowning anger when the boys began todon the diving suits.
"You are foolish to attempt to go down, young sirs," he said, angrily."It is dangerous, very dangerous."
"We are the only ones at all likely to suffer," Charley repliedshortly. "Tend strictly to your pumping, when we think we need advice,we will ask you for it."
Before his head-piece was adjusted, he found opportunity to whisper toWalter. "We won't be able to talk when we get below, so I want you tofollow me and do just what you see me do."
"I will," promised his chum. "My, don't these things feel queer. I canhardly lift my feet, they are so heavy. They make me feel helpless as alittle baby."
The divers adjusted the helmets to the lads' heads and, assisting themto the rail, helped them down the ladder, and lowered them gently tothe bottom.
Charley laughed to himself as he caught sight of Walter in the clearwater. His chum looked like some strange monster in the grotesquediving suit. He waved his hand to him and Walter placed one great pawover his helmet where his mouth was supposed to be, to show that he wasendeavoring politely to stifle a laugh.
But the boys' merriment at each other's grotesque appearance wasquickly lost in admiration of the strange scene about them.
It was as though they were standing in the midst of a beautiful garden.Here and there were patches of soft white bottom, like winding pathsamongst the marine growth. On every side of the bare places roselace-like sea fans of purple, yellow, and red, and feather-like seaplumes swaying gently to and fro to the motion of the water caused bythe lads' descent. At their bases lay scattered multitudes of shells ofevery conceivable shape, size, and hue, while, towering far above theriot of color, rose mighty trees of snow-white coral among the branchesof which hovered golden, silver, crimson, and every shade of fish,great and small, their fins flashing gracefully as they darted to andfro.
For some moments, the lads stood motionless drinking in the beauty ofthe wonderful garden, but they had not descended merely to admire andCharley, after a long look around, hauled gently on the life-line untilhe had some hundred feet coiled neatly at his feet. Walter, though notcomprehending his chum's plan, followed his example. The ruse was toserve a two-fold purpose, first to lead those on the diving boat tothink that the two were a considerable distance from the boat, and,second, to deceive them as to the real direction taken by those below.
As soon as Walter had got his life-line neatly coiled down, Charleyturned at right angles from the spot and moved slowly forward for theplace where he calculated lay the supposed bad place in the Gulf'sbottom.
He was surprised to find that he could walk with perfect ease andcomfort. The suit, which had been so heavy and cumbersome above thesurface, now rested on him lightly as a feather. He could have walkedwith considerable speed had it not been for the care he had to take tokeep his life-line free and clear from the numerous branches of coral.He watched Walter anxiously to see that he used the same care with therope upon which their very lives depended and he was relieved to seethat his
chum used every possible precaution.
Although the water was clear as crystal, neither lad could see farahead at that depth below the surface for it was too far for the sun'slight to penetrate brightly. Charley was almost upon the rope with itsfloating buoy above before he perceived it. He moved forward now withthe greatest caution for, if Manuel's statement was true, a hasty stepmight plunge him suddenly into a nasty hole or a dangerous patch ofquicksand. But the bottom did not seem any different from that overwhich they had passed. The rope was fastened to a branch of coral wherethere was no indication of a hole or quicksand, but, a little beyondwhere the rope was fastened, the lad could see dimly a large black massrising up from the bottom. Towards it he slowly made his way, followedby his chum.