"Humph!" growled Rasp, "I do get the credit for that, then. Stopped the wind, indeed! Here, you n.i.g.g.e.r, just leave that pump alone."

This last to 'Pollo, who was curiously inspecting the machine, and who strutted off with his opal eyes rolling and his teeth grinning indignation at being called a n.i.g.g.e.r.

"Well, Pugh," said Mr Parkley, who so far had been able to restrain his impatience, but who longed to hear the result of the investigation, "I must congratulate you on your brave encounter with the shark."

"And wanted me to haul you up," growled Rasp.

"There was not much bravery in it," said Dutch, who was now smoking as composedly as if nothing had occurred, while the water that had streamed from his india-rubber suit was fast drying on the sun-baked deck. "I was well-armed; my enemy was not."

"Wasn't he?" growled Rasp, giving a vicious rub at the helmet. "What do you call them teeth? But, then, we divers are not skeered about a shark or two."

"Do you feel well enough to talk about your descent, Pugh?" said Mr Parkley.

"I feel well enough to go down again," said Dutch smiling; "but this time I must have a sharp-pointed iron rod to probe the sand."

"I'm a-going down next," said Rasp. "It's my turn."

"But what is your opinion? What have you made out?" said Mr Parkley.

"Almost nothing," replied Dutch. "If there is anything below there, it is buried deep in sand, which, I think, we must blast away, for it runs back as fast as it is dug."

"Then you found absolutely nothing," said Mr Parkley, while the others waited eagerly for the young man's answer.

"Unless this proves to be something," replied Dutch, taking the sh.e.l.ly ma.s.s from his net basket and handing it to his partner.

Mr Parkley received it with trembling hands.

"It is heavy," he said, turning it over and over. "Here Rasp, a hammer, quick."

The old fellow handed a bright steel-headed tool, with the ordinary hammer head on one side, but a sharp wedge-shaped edge at the other, and with this Mr Parkley chipped away the small barnacles and other sh.e.l.ls conglomerated together, and at about the fourth stroke laid bare something bright and shining.

"My dear Dutch," cried his partner, dropping the hammer, "we are right.

Look--silver!"

He wrung Dutch's hand vigorously, as the young man's face flushed with pleasure; and then, picking up the hammer, he struck off the remainder of the sh.e.l.ly concretion, and pa.s.sed round a blackened wedge-shaped ingot of about a couple of pounds weight, and undoubtedly of fine silver.

"Here, lay hold of the legs of this soot," cried Rasp eagerly, as he seized the second suit which lay ready on a seat. "I'm a-going down dreckly."

"We'd better wait first, and make some definite plan of action," said Mr Parkley, who was nearly as excited as his old a.s.sistant.

"No, we hadn't," said Rasp, shuffling into the india-rubber garments.

"Only just have that there ladder shifted over to port. You can make your plans while I go down tother side and feels about with the iron rod. You two's administrative; I'm zeketive. I shan't be happy unless I has a go in."

The point was yielded, the ladder shifted over to the other side, and in a few minutes Rasp had taken the keen knife and stuck it in his belt, thrown down a long iron rod, and declared himself ready.

"I shall set to work where you left that there spade," he said. "You'll see as the wind ain't stopped, Mr Parkley, sir?"

"Of course," was the reply.

"And you'll see as the chube ain't in no kinks, Mr Pug;" he continued, with a dry chuckling laugh, "and so will I."

"You may laugh, Rasp," said Dutch, good-humouredly, "but you will not alter my opinion about it at all."

"I know that, Mr Pug; I know that," he chuckled.

"But you haven't got the life-line attached."

"Yah! I don't want no life-lines," said the old fellow. "I've been down too many times."

"You don't go down without, Rasp," said Mr Parkley, authoritatively.

"And why not?" said the stubborn old fellow.

"Because if you like to throw your life away, I don't choose to spare you at such a time."

The old fellow a.s.sumed his helmet, growling and grumbling the whole time, and then, all being ready, the look-out was arranged once more for sharks, Mr Parkley held a cartridge or two ready, and Dutch took the management of the descent, watchfully minding that the tube and lines were clear. Then Rasp went down, to be seen directly after thrusting the rod here and there, and soon after commencing digging in the slow, laborious way inevitable in so dense a medium.

The water was disturbed by the continuous fountain of exhausted air bubbles that rose rapidly to the surface, but all the same Rasp's motions could be pretty well followed, and they were scanned with great eagerness by all on deck, when suddenly the cry of sharks was raised, and the black fins of a couple of monsters were seen slowly coming up astern.

In an instant Mr Parkley ran aft, and after seeing that his wire coil would be perfectly free, he threw the cartridge with such precision that it fell between the two fish, and on the wire being applied to the battery, there was a dull report, a heavy column of water flew up in which could be seen the forms of the sharks, and as the commotion subsided they were seen swimming feebly in a stunned, helpless manner round and round, and gradually getting more distant from the schooner.

The men gave a cheer at the result, but as they did so Mr Wilson raised the cry again of "shark," and pointed downwards where a monster was seen slowly approaching Rasp, who was working away in profound ignorance of his danger, though he had been seen to straighten himself up for a moment or two when the cartridges were exploded.

"Stand ready with the life-line," shouted Dutch. "Keep on pumping, my lads."

As he spoke he signalled with the cord, and Rasp faced round, to be seen to squat down directly as he drew his knife.

The scene below was very vivid, for the sun shone out so brightly that even the rivets in the copper helmet were visible, and but for a word or two of warning those whose duty it was to attend to life-line and pump would have stopped short to try and catch a glance at what was going on below.

Dutch's stern voice brought them back to their duty, and the pump clanked, and those who held the life-line stood ready for a run forward to drag Rasp up if there was any need.

"Why," exclaimed Mr Parkley, eagerly, "he is not ready for the monster, and it is sailing round him. I dare not send down a cartridge, as the brute will not be the only sufferer. Look, look, for heaven's sake, Dutch! It has seized him."

Plainly enough to be seen, as Mr Parkley spoke, the shark gave its tail a wave, turned over so that its white breast was like a flash of light in the water, and opening its large jaws it seemed to seize the diver.

At the same moment there was a tug at the signal-cord, and a sharp tug at the life-line, for Dutch gave the word, and Rasp was dragged rapidly to the surface, the shark following, and making a fresh snap at him as he was hoisted on deck.

The second snap divided the tube, which the monster caught across his jaws, but no sooner was Rasp in safety than Mr Parkley threw one of his cartridges at the shark, where it swam now round and round, with only its back fin above the water.

In an instant the creature turned on one side, and the white cartridge was seen to disappear. Then followed a touch of the wire against the hissing battery, there was a deafening report, and the schooner heaved a little over on one side, and the surface of the placid sea was covered with blood-stained fragments which were seized and borne off by a shoal of silvery-looking fish, which seemed attracted to the spot in thousands.

"What did you pull me up for?" roared Rasp, as soon as he was relieved of his helmet.

"To save your life," was the reply.

"It's shabby, that's what it is," said Rasp angrily. "No one interfered with you, Mr Dutch, when you had your turn."

"But you signalled to be pulled up."