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 sh.e.l.ls 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 pa.s.sed 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 ma.s.s down, he raised it to the front of his helmet.

Sh.e.l.ls, sh.e.l.ls, nothing but sh.e.l.ls 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 sh.e.l.ly 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 p.r.o.ne 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!

STORY ONE, CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

A CRAFTY FOE.

It was with a feeling of intense agony that Hester Pugh watched her husband as he stepped on to the ladder and gradually descended below the surface of the water, and then with beating heart she altered her position, going beyond the others and leaning over the bulwark, so that she could peer down into the clear water and follow his every motion.

It would have been painful enough if they had parted lovingly, but, with the knowledge that his doubts had been strengthened by her refusal to explain, her position was doubly painful. In bygone days, before their marriage, Dutch had been one of the most successful and daring of divers, more from choice than necessity; but of late he had devoted himself to drawing and making plans at her desire, though his old love of submarine adventure was strong within him still; and now it almost seemed as if his resumption of his old pursuit had been caused by hatred of her.

For the time being all thought of the hidden peril to which those on board were exposed was swallowed up in the present danger, and, not noticing who was her nearest neighbour, she watched the progress of her husband with the great drops of anguish starting to her forehead. Every movement he made was plainly to be seen by all on board, and when Mr Meldon first raised the cry of "Shark!" so intense was the interest in the proceedings that no one paid the slightest heed to her. Thus it was that, in a state that made her ask herself sometimes whether this was not some wild dream, she saw the bustle on deck accompanying Mr Parkley's efforts to drive off the unwelcome visitors, of which there were two. A cartridge was thrown, and exploded close to one of them, with the result that it seemed to sink to the bottom, for they saw it no more, while, when the other was seen to be making straight for the diver, the cry arose that he should be drawn up, and under Rasp's direction the men were starting the life-line with a run, when--

"Hold hard!" cried Rasp, "he's a signalling 'All right.'"

"But it is madness," cried Mr Parkley and the captain in a breath.

"He's a signalling 'All right,'" cried Rasp sternly. "You should never touch a diver when he does that. See there."

Rasp quickly pulled the line, so as to tighten it, when the impatient jerk at the signal-cord came again.

"Can you see exactly what is going on, Mr Meldon?" said the captain.

"Yes, quite plainly," was the reply, "he has his knife out, and is going to fight the shark."

Hester had already seen this, and had shrunk aside, covering her eyes with her hands, fearing to listen to the conversation that ensued as Mr Meldon described in vivid words what we already know. She heard, too, the various impatient suggestions that Dutch should be drawn up, and in an agony of supplication she prayed that this might take place, but always, till she felt that she hated him with an intensity of dislike, she heard Rasp's harsh voice dominating the others as, with the sense of responsibility that he had a diver's life in his hands, he absolutely refused. He was lord of the proceedings, having been invested by Dutch with his duties, and he maintained his position after nearly yielding two or three times and tightening the life-line.

"There, you may say what you like," he growled, "I know my dooty, and I'm a-doing on it. You should never meddle with a man as is down till he asks for help--go on with that pumping, my lads, keep it up," he said, interrupting his didactic remarks to admonish the sailors at the air-pump--"'cause if you do, you means well p'raps, but you only flurries the man, and that's the very thing as you oughtn't to do. Do you know what would make the best divers, Oak.u.m?"

"No," growled that worthy.

"Cowc.u.mbers, 'cause they're so cool. Now, lookye here everybody, he's going on as right as can be. Mr Dutch keeps on giving the signal 'All right,' so why should we interfere. I'm master o' this descent, and he shan't be interfered with."

"But, you madman, there's a huge shark just going to dash at him," cried Mr Meldon excitedly.

"Then I'm very sorry for the shark," said Rasp coolly. "Lor' bless you, Mr Dutch is too much for any shark as can swim. Madman, eh, Mr Doctor. What would you say to me if I called you a madman for not letting me interfere when you'd got your patient a-going on all right, and just because I thought he was in danger? My patient's a-going on all right. There, he says so himself," he continued, as the customary signal pa.s.sed along the line.

"Rasp is quite right," said Mr Parkley, who stood there with a cartridge in one hand, the wire in the other, and the battery between his feet. "A diver should never be interfered with."

"There, hear that?" said Rasp, watching the tube where it descended into the water.

"But look! Good heavens, it is horrible!" cried the doctor.

Hester's hands dropped from her face, and she gazed down now to see a thick cloud of blood rising through the water, shutting out the figure of him she loved, and white as ashes, with eyes starting, and parted lips, but without uttering a word, she gazed on.

"Well, what o' that?" said Rasp coolly, as he held the signal-line delicately in his hand, drawing in and slackening out like a man feeling with a ground line. "He's as right as a trivet, and I've felt him all along with the line here, and he's give the shark such a one-er. I felt him let go at it."

"I'm afraid it is his own blood," exclaimed Mr Wilson.

"For heaven's sake be silent, Wilson!" cried Mr Parkley. "There, you've made Miss Studwick faint."

In fact Bessy, standing by her brother's side as he watched the whole of the proceedings, had sunk down softly on the deck; but when the doctor turned to her help, John Studwick angrily repelled him.

"It was your horrible talk began it, and that long fool's finished the work," exclaimed John Studwick. "Now, go back and see the shark killed.

I can attend to my sister. Send for some cold water, father," he added, as the captain came up.

But it was needless, for Bessy was recovering fast, and after looking wildly about for a few moments she sat up by her brother, and held his hand with her back turned to the group on deck.

"Bah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Rasp, coolly. "There, keep clear o' that chube," he shouted. "It's shark's blood, that's what it is, and you'll see him turn up by-and-by. Here he comes; no he ain't turned up yet. Now he's going down again. There," he cried directly after, as the line glided softly through his hand. "Mr Dutch has given him another. Look at the cloud rising again, and--ha, ha, ha! What did I tell you?"

As he spoke Hester saw the form of the shark rising slowly through the ruddy cloud till its white belly gleamed in the sunshine, and Rasp pointed out with delight the two great gashes through which its life blood was pa.s.sing out, while the monster made a few ineffectual struggles to recover itself, and then floated slowly to leeward.

"There ain't many about here just now," said Rasp, "or else that blood would have brought 'em round. Ha! there won't be much of him left by to-morrow morning. Serve him right for interfering with divers."

Hester's eyes closed again for a few moments as her heart went up in grateful thanksgiving. Then she was watching the gradually clearing water till she could see her husband once again, and as she saw him moving it was with a feeling of hope that he would come up now.

But as we know he pa.s.sed right under the schooner, and there were more spectators crossed over to the other side to watch his efforts, while she, faint and exhausted with her emotions, sat down on a coil of rope, gazing at the tube that pa.s.sed close by her, Rasp having set a goodly length free as soon as he found that Dutch was on the move, and she had seen this long snake-like pipe creep out well over the side as the diver went farther and farther away, knowing that it was the bond which held him to life, and feeling with a kind of fascination that she could not explain that it was now her duty to watch the tube and see that it was not touched.

As she felt this, she raised her eyes for a moment, to see that Rasp was standing with his back to her and that she was alone, for all were now intent upon the diver's actions, and commenting upon his work.

"He's found out the place," said one. "He's got something--no he hasn't," and so on.

Just then Hester Pugh became aware of some one standing close by her, and turning her eyes it was to find that Laure had crossed unnoticed to her side, where he stood as if looking over the bulwarks for sharks, but really all the time with his eyes fixed upon and fascinating hers, while to her horror she saw that one of his bare feet kept touching the tube.

"I've been waiting for this opportunity," he said at last in a low whisper. "You tried to betray me this morning."

"No, no," she moaned, as the wretch placed his foot upon the tube, smiling at her the while.

"You will betray me in spite of my warning," he continued in the same low tone; "and for this, because I will not have my plans spoiled, and partly because I hate Dutch Pugh and love you, my child, I am going to press my foot down upon this tube. Hark! dare to raise your voice in the least," he whispered fiercely, as he saw her white lips part, "and it is his instant death. Do you understand? If I stop the flow of air for only a few seconds, he will be so startled that he will not recover himself, while if I double the time it will make a.s.surance doubly sure, as you English people say. Swear now to me, by all that is holy, by all your future hopes, that you will not betray me."

"Heaven give me strength, I cannot," panted Hester.

"My foot is pressing the tube," he hissed. "But there I know, sweet love, that you wish him dead, that there may be no hindrance to our pa.s.sion."

"Monster!" she cried.

"Hush!" he whispered. "Will you swear?"