CHAPTER XVI.
TOO LATE.
"NO patched hose for me," Charley said, decidedly. "If the divers wantto risk using it, they can."
It was not just the reply the wily Greek had expected and he hastenedto answer.
"You are right, it does not pay to take risks. I will get the new hoseand put it on."
But Charley was ahead of him. He did not intend to give the wily Greekany chance to play tricks with the new hose. He brought it out fromthe lockers in which it was kept and, after examining it carefullyconnected it to the air pumps and helmets. Before putting on hishead-piece, he tried the air pump also. It proved to be in perfectworking order and sent the air gushing through the hose. Manuelfastened the life-line below his arms, but Charley called the captainto adjust the heavy helmet over his head.
As soon as his feet touched the bottom, Charley moved forward forthe wreck, Walter at his side. Neither lad wished to remain below asecond longer than was necessary for they fully realized that they wererunning a terrible risk in descending at all. They found the box theyhad discovered the day before entirely empty, the divers had broughtanother out from the wreck's hold and broken it open. The gold was intwenty dollar pieces and in a few minutes the lads had transferredseveral hundred dollars from the box to the baskets. It was hard toresist taking more but the risks were too great to permit it. Quicklyhastening back to the patch of sponges, they tore up several basketsfull of the mud and covered fungus and, making a slit in each withtheir sheaf knives, stuffed in the coins. It was the very plan thedivers had followed but Charley had decided that they would not belooking for the adopting of their own trick. As soon as the last coinwas hidden and the loaded sponges placed in the basket with others ontop of them to complete the load, Charley signed to Walter to ascendand stood watching him until he had been drawn to the surface, then hegave the signal to be drawn up himself. He was raised a few feet upfrom the bottom then he sank quickly back to the place from which hehad risen and he saw the end of the life-line dangling in the watertwenty feet above his head. _It had been pulled loose from his body._
Charley stood for a moment looking at it in terrified dismay while hisquick brain took in the awful significance of his position. Frightenedas he was, he could not but admire the quickness with which Manuel hadhit upon another scheme for his undoing after that of the greased hose,had failed, for he had not a doubt that the Greek had fastened thelife-line to him in such a manner that it would pull loose with a hardjerk. He was in no immediate danger of death for the air hose stillconnected him with the surface and the fresh air still came gushing ina welcome stream into his helmet, but a moment's reflection convincedhim that this was not all of Manuel's scheme, for the Greek would knowthat the captain and Walter would soon become uneasy over his delayand would start an investigation which would quickly reveal that thelife-line was no longer attached to him. Clearly, the Greek had anothercard up his sleeve which he would soon play and Charley waited for itwith every nerve strained to keenest tension. He felt longingly ofthe air hose, wondering if the frail tube would hold for him to pullhimself up to the surface by it, but he quickly decided that it wouldnot stand the heavy strain and to break it would mean his instantdeath. Keeping one eye on the life-line so tantalizingly out of hisreach he moved slowly forward until he stood beneath the diving boatwhich showed like a dim shadow above him. Suddenly a thrill of horrorwent through him, the diving boat was slowly drifting away--Manuel hadplayed his trump card. In a flash the terror-stricken lad comprehendedthe situation. Some one of the Greeks, under Manuel's instructions, hadstealthily severed the cable, relying on the boat's slow drift beingunnoticed by the captain and Walter until it had dragged apart thefrail air hose. But, just as Charley had given up all hope and waitedfor the parting of the hose which would mean his death, the danglinglife-line was jerked up out of sight,--his companions had discovered apart at least of his plight--upon their next actions depended his lifeor death.
The next few seconds seemed like hours to the helpless lad, then a darkspeck appeared in the water above him quickly growing in size until hecould see that it was Chris fighting his way downward with long steadystrokes and following the air hose in his descent. The little negrowas nearly exhausted when he reached the bottom. Thrusting the end ofthe line he had brought into Charley's hand, he turned upward and shotto the surface like a rocket. Charley whipped the line about his waistand gave the signal to pull up. He was swiftly pulled to the surface,hauled aboard the boat, and his helmet removed. Chris, breathingheavily, was standing by the mast, the water dripping from him. Walterand the captain, pale with fear, stood close beside him.
"Thank God, you're safe, lad," cried the old sailor, tears in hiseyes. "We feared the air hose would part before Chris could get to you.We had just pulled on the life-line and found it had come loose fromyou when we discovered the boat had gone adrift. I reckon, she musthave chafed her cable in two against a sharp piece of coral. Queer howeverything happens all at once that way, sometimes."
It was clear the simple old sailor did not suspect that the trouble wasanything but an accident, and Charley hastened to reply,
"All is well that ends well, but I've nearly had the life scart out ofme. I don't think I'll ever want to go down again."
He was watching Manuel closely as he spoke and he noted withsatisfaction the expression of relief on the Greek's swarthy face.If he could only keep him from thinking that he knew anything aboutthe gold and had not discovered his treachery, he hoped to be able toavoid open violence until they were prepared and ready for it. He wasconvinced that the Greek was too cowardly to risk the danger of beingshot in open mutiny so long as he thought himself unsuspected and freeto scheme their removal without danger to himself.
The diving boat was worked back to her old position, another anchordropped, and donning their suits the divers resumed operations below.When they came to the surface at the end of their two hour trick belowthey seemed strangely excited and conversed eagerly with Manuel and therest of the crew. Charley was for awhile puzzled to account for theirexcitement, but 'ere long the solution came to him. Like all plansintended to deceive, his had contained a fatal defect.
"Walt," he whispered to his chum, "those chaps have noticed that someof the gold has been removed from that box. We are in for trouble, now,I fear." The Captain and Chris were warned to be on their guard butit seemed that the warning was unnecessary, the excited talk amongstthe crew soon ceased and the fresh divers quietly prepared for theirdescent.
But in spite of the quietness, there was a tension and earnestnessin the crew's manner which made the anxious little party of chumsfeel that they were standing at the edge of a powder mine which mightexplode at any minute.
"I would rather have open fighting than this awful waiting," Walterwhispered.
"We will have that soon enough," said his chum, grimly. "It will comeas soon as we try to make them get the schooner under way."
The long anxious day at last drew to its close, anchor was got up onthe diving boat, and she was headed back for the schooner.
As they passed a large piece of driftwood covered with large blackbirds with very long necks, Manuel pointed at them, "Those are fineeating," he said wistfully. "If the young gentlemen could kill a few itwould give us all a great feast."
Walter looked at Charley who nodded assent, for he was not loath thatthe Greek should witness their skill with the revolver.
Both boys had practiced often with their revolvers and were better thanaverage marksmen. Their pistols were automatics, a style of weapon withwhich even the unskillful can shoot fairly accurately. Walter fired sixshots in as many seconds, killing four birds and wounding one. Charleyfired four shots at the same time, killing two birds and crippling athird. The rest of the birds took flight before the boys could shootmore. The captain and Chris emptied their pistols at the flying flockwithout success.
The diving boat was run alongside the dead birds and they were pickedup by the crew. Manuel seemed delighted, "The
young gentlemen arewonderful shots," he declared.