Boy-divers In The Red Sea

(David Ker In the June Wide A wake I " Here we are at last. Mr. Ker," says tlie captain, as we oast anchor off the coast o Arabia, a linie aftor suuset, about two thirds down tbe Red Kou. " It's too ftul to make out OlUcll lo-niylit hut vou'll see .1 Nao .-ifiiu. when you come on deck to niorrow morning." The worthy captain's mnntion of " eom ing on deck " is doubtles trom foroe of habit, for neitlier he nor I have been anywliere but on deck for more than a week except ]erliap8 to look forsomethingwhicl we have left below. Most of my time is spent in the rigging, where what little wind tben is may generally be tnet whh; and onr table-clotli is spread on the "afterli.il.li," whüe our nrrangements for going to bed consistmerelyof tlnowingablanket on the deck, and stretching ourselvesupon it, umlisturbed save by an occasional scamper of two or three frolicsoine rats over onr faces. When I awakfi the next morning, I flnd tlie captain' prornise amply made good. Ihe sun is just rising, and uoder ka golden Bplendor the broad blue sea stretches westWtrd as t'ar as pye cun rcach, every ripple tlpped wh li llvUig lire. On the other side eMends a sea of anotlier kind- the eray iin.Midinglevelof the great Arabian desert, meltlng dtmty into the warm dreamy sky. In front, the low white wall of a Tiirkish fort stands out likean ivory earving "-arnt the hot brassy yellow of the and-bil la thal me tbe Bbore; wliilc all aroiind it are the little cabins of mud-plasiercd wicker-work Hiil oompoae the Arab village, looking very imich like hampers left behind by Mqe monster plcnto. Here and tbere, tnrongh (lic Hgtó groen of theshallower water nlo..,, the lbore, a flash of dazzllng white, keen anil nar run as tne edge óf a sword, niarks tbc proenceof the dangerous coral reefs among which we have been picking our way for the last three da-s, with the chance of running agrouml at any moment. " You were right, captain,'1 says I, as the burly sklpper rises and stretches his bra wny arms, like a bear awaking from its winter nap. " This is a sight wortb seeing, indeed." " Ah, this ain't what I meant," chuckles the captain ; " the best 'o the show's to come yet. Look over yonder- there, iust twixt the reef and the shore. D'ye Bee anything in the water? " "Wcll, 1 think I see something swimBHng - sharks, I suppose." "Sharks, eh? Well, land-sharks you might cali 'ern, p'raps. ïake my glass and try agaln." The iirst look tbrough the glass works a startling change. In a moment the swarm of round black spots which 1 have ignorantly taken for the backs of sharks, nre tnrned into faces- the faces of Arab childien. and (as I perceive with no little amazement) of verv yonnr chiiriren t", - ..irtttort bcinr: nppareutly not luim; man Disvi si.v..v„.„.iji r... .„„ sel is certainly not less than a mile from the shore, and tlie water, shallow as it is, is deep enough at any poiut to drown the very tallest of these adventorous little " waterbabies; " yet they are evidently making for the ship. and that, too, at a speed that will soon bring thehi alongside of her. " Are they really coming all this way out without resting?" ask I. "Bless you, that's nothing to an Arab!" laughs the captain; "these little darkies are as much ut home in the water as on the land. I've heard folks talk a good deal of the way the South Sea islarulerscan swim; but J've seen as good swimming here as ever I saw there." And no v, as the Lilliputian swimmers draw nearer, we begin to hear their slitill cries and sclfish laughter; and now they are close enough for their little brown faces, and glittering teeth, and beady black eyes, tobe easily distinguislied; and now one final stroke of their lean sinewy arms carries them alongside, and the blue water swarms with tiny iingers, looking np and waving their hands so cagerly that one might almost expect to hear them cali out, "Shine, boss?" and sec them produce a brush and a pot of blacKiii''. [?¦ J-&: " of that, - ¦ r'"," "f "f Plil8ter, nuiiuii!' (a penny, my lord!) cinick em a copper, nnd you'll see something good !" says the captain. I rummaged the few remaing pockets of my tattcred white jacket, and at last uncarthcd a Tuikish piaster (flve cents) which I toss into the water. Instantly the smooth bright surfacc is dappjed with a forest of tiny brown toes, all turning upward at once, and down plungethe boy-divers, their supple limbs glancing through the clear water like a shoal of Iish. By tliis time nearly all the crew are looking over the side, and encouraging the swimmer with lusty shout; for, used as Jack Js to all sorts of queer spectacles, this is one of which he seems never to tire. "There's one of 'em got it!" "No, he ain't!" "Yes, he has - I see hiin a-comiu' up with it!" "And there's the otlicrs a-tryin' to take it from hirn - hold tight, Sambo!" 8ure enou";h, the successful di ver Ís surrounded by tn ree or four piratical comradès, who are doing their best to snatch away tbe liard-won coin; but he sticks to it like a man, and as he leaches thesurface, holds it up to us triumpliantly, and then pops it into bis ni' mili - the only pocket he has got. lint this is a sad mistake on his part. In n moment a orfy rnnïpflnion swimsup behlnd hiin, and tickles hlm under the chin. As his moiitli o]iens, out drops the coin into his assailant's hand, from whom it is instantly snatchetí by some clse; and a regular bear-fifrht ensues in the water, which splashes up all around tbein like a fountain-jot, whilo their shouts and laughter inakí the air ring. "Aren't they afiaid of sliarks?" ask I of the captain, who has just increased the confusión tcnfold by throwing another copper Into the very iniustof thescreaming throug. "Not they - they make too unich row for any shark to come near them. Sharks are mighty easyscared, forall they're so savage. You'll never catch 'em coming too near a slcaimr when sbe's foin' - the flappin' of the screw frightens'em away. See, there's two of 'em comin' along now, and you'll just see how niueli the boys'll care for 'em." And, Indeed, thcsudden uprisingofthose gaunt l)lack fins, pierciugthe smooth water as witb an imexpected stab, seems to produce no effext halcver upon these fc:trless urcliins, who paddls aljout as unconrc nu il as ever. Moreover, itsoou appeurs that the sharks the mselver have Other business to attend to. A shoal of flylng-tisli come drivliijí pasi, gliateolugllke rainbows daZEÜng sunsliinc as they leap out of the water and f all back again. Instantly one of the "sea-lawyers" daslies at the rear ot' the column, while the other, wheelinj; around its front, heads back tbe fugitivos into liis ccunrade's open jaws; and in tbis way the two partners contrive to make a very respectable "haul." But at this moment .tbc garrison-boat is seen putting off from tbe ibore, with one of tlie paduri offleen lo the stern-éheets. At sight of the well-knoun official Ilajr. our water-haliics scatter like Wild-fowl, and Ihe next moment all the little black heads are seen bobbing over tbc gUlnlng ripples on their way back lo the shore. - Selected. The brass cannon which was capturad a' Yorktown by Lafayette, and which nearly cost thegallant mai'iiuis hislifc, is prese r veil ai the Watervliet arsenal. When Lafayette visited the arsenal titt v-seven years ago he was so glad to see the guu that he enthusiastically embraced t