A Struggle Under The Sea

I, Watts Brown, follow a vcry hazar dous calling, or at all cvents, a calling in whiob, if you choose to face darger for the sako of highor remuneration, penlous adventurcs are common enough. I am uot too presumptuous when 1 say I am brave as most wen naturally, and my sense of fear has been further blunted by a constant companionsbip with danger. The adventure I am about to nar rate was horrible enough to me when I waa priucipul actor in it, and to this dav an involuntnrv slmrlHor nf v,nr- aceompanies tbe reco'lection of it. Soma years ogo a large vessel, laden with a tuixed cargo, was bound to New York from South America. Striking a sunkcn reef oö the dangerous coast of Florida, she was wreckcd and very few of the passengers or seamen escaped. Tho owncr, who was also captain, was drowned Ilis heirs lived n New York. It appears the vessel had seltled down in the ocean,aud having escaped the at tuck of any storm, as might be supiosed her caigo would be pretty well reooverable ; but it was a useless and foolish attempt to try and get anythiug from her in a lonely eea and on a dangerous coast. However, one of those men whom nature has formed for the out of the way modes of getting inoney in this work), having obtaiued the coDsent of the heirs at New York, fittod out a large yacht, and promifed mouey ou uuu oí success, i was pronipteci to hazard tho spec - it agrecd with my adventurous disposition and I signed articles and shippcd tuyself. After a deal of troublo we picked up anotber dier, a cour'ee, brutal, druuken rascal, whose conduct, as heroafter seen, will sufficiently justify theao remarks. From tLü begin niug I had a kind of aiitiatby against tho i'ellow, and shrank from Lis society as from a loatlisome reptile. His profile was that of a baboon, his oyes peering from under his heavy jjrows, twiükled with a satanic madnoss, and seemed to be looking all -ays at ouce, aud when he laugbeij bis sataoic majesty himself might have envied his ugly grin. My employcr shunn ed him, but no other could be got'to enírnítfi in Kuch n fnnlhnvrlv apKnnwt llaving got the diving bell and otber apparatus on board, wo all set eail on this novel pursuit of lucro. Tho voyago was fine, and Luviug nothing to do I enjoycd it very rnuch, and was evea Boftepipg toward my fellow diver whoa we reached tliat port of the coast of Florida where our fortunes wero buried beneatb the waves. We were a considerable timo discovering the wreek, but we found it at last far dowí in tho depths of the itill, blue sea, wkero troops of sharks were ing eacli otlier about and throuph it for want of proy. No pleusatit sight, I can assure you. My fellow diver gave them a fearful curse, and took an exira leng pull at liis brandy flask. As for myself, tbu afiair seemcd more dangeroui than ever. Tlio vetsel would havo to bo moored above a bed of rcefs, and if a storm wcro to rine, i!l fate would c;it.li us, foi there is litlle rncrcy to bo expected for a ship from tbe cruel aud jagged coral. However, 1 pluoked up tho very best bcart, Raying to myt-lf, 'lMy dear follow, tho moro dunijer tho moro Jim Crow - that was the direr's nam - gava utteranco to a uowise pleasan oath ab'Ut being swiudled, rnut tering a tho end, "but I'U pay thein off deucoc sliarp, or I'm not - " ooncluding liis sen tonce very suspiciously, wbich did uot tend to iücroase my coufidenoe respceting lus intention. VVo pulled back to the sliip, afterplacing a buoy to niatk tho spot. For tbc next two dajs Jim and I wero busjr preparing our ibinga for the atlack on the Blinken wreek. Tho tido of my uioiigiHs was cüeckca by my woik, but I stül notioed that Jim w:is in au evil mood. After ahout four clays the ehip was anchorcd. Tho bell tras swung from the plungo, and Crow and I went below and drti-sed. My suspicious f eenicd now on tho inerease, nd tny readers iray think that I was fuarful, but I provided rr.yselí' with a long, sbarp knile, whicli I 8tuck unobserved down my long leathern boot. Jim siuck onc in his belt, eayiog with a 3abolical laugh, " I tliink it ie belter being prepared f'or wa'.cr skarks," and I almost thiuk he added " land sharks." Tbis opeoed my eyes a üttle, aud some curious speculations flitted luiuugn rey Drain. uc was aman üugely bu and strong, and wicked withal. With many puch reflectioiiS I took mj place u the bell, and amidst tho hurrahs of the crew and the exoitctiieut of the roasteï, we dipped into ü,o sea. Comiron liib had passed away, uid to a dcvice a world opees to bis eyes beneath the ware, and even to me tbe ecene was fresh. The coral reefs, liko grand nro!iitectural structures, covered with weeds and shella of tlie doep, of every potsib e varieiy of color, the fish, large and ■mal], darting about in tho water, and flying at the approach of tho buil as bcforo the sweep of the sharks, and even they griuned i h their ]on jaws, and led at our approach. Down, down, don, tül tho liglit was dim, aud then we ttruok the wreek. Armed with crow !ars sharp 8t oue end to repulse he monsters of tho deep, we planted mr feet on the bell. Insiantly we 8epaated, Jim burst open tho eabin door, düd aftcr a whilo I followed hiui. Bv iiiat time he was in the cabiu tearobiog abcut. I watched Lini ns well as ï eould all tbo while we went on our first juuruey, and afler laüding the heil, gave the signal and were hauled upon deck. The eailors crowded arouud us, gloating o?cr the various things we had brought up. They also huulcd on deok sevoral things to which we had attached ropes. Thus our first dny passed, All wero exulting, and the sailors cracked over tho galley fire the possible piizo money to eat'h, and the master dreamcd of priuce ly itulepeudenoe. Several days thus passed over; we had broken ioto the cargo, and what we considered of valuó and tho sea had not damaged, was hauled on deck, nud the sohoouer became jirctty vreïï laden. I think it was about the last day of working, as we wore down in the bel], thal Crow agnin wended his way tovvard the Oiibin. By tliis time my suspicions rogarding his evil iotentions were quietcd, yet therc etill lingercd about him traces of obstinate sulkiness, eo that I took very little notice of his operations. I uutsicu iiiyseii aDouc dinerene tmngs in the hole of the eunken vessel. I think about half an hour must have passed by when I returncd to the bel!, and I was startled by thecunuing, wiekcd cast of Crow's oouutenance ; he was ehuffliug somethiug beneath Lis diver's clothes. As the last of it d:sappcared I gessed it was a bag, and tho thougbt flashed across my mind - a bag of money. I quietly askcd Crow wbat it was. "Humph ! nothiog. What have ye to do wi' it?" he growled. My curiosity was further arouscd by this answer. "Woll, you must teil me what it is," I uaid, koepiug niyself as quiet as possi ble. "The devil I must !" he shouted, eavagcly. "Then you will be foreed to when you getoD deck," I replied. "Ha! ha! foreed!" Here he quietly drew a long knife. Quick ss thought mine was out too, for I alwavs fiarriwl it. in mv hmt "I suspectcd somethiDg of this," I said. He soowled hcavilj at me froin tho other sido of the bel). "Now you niust teil me what it is," I said. But notLing daunted, the ruffian cried "I wil! see jou dead first." I knew Lis mighty Btrengtb, but I also know ui y own agility and bkill. Crow said, "ïip a bug of gold I found in the cabin, and if you hold your tongue I'll givo ye a tliird." "Never sball I be disbonest," I said, aftersorne delibcration, lookiug palé, I dare say, but perfeotly calm. Let lbo reader imagine tlicsoeno in a bell, forty feet under water; it would take twenty miuutes to pull it up. A fiorco fight, perhaps a deadly one, ïuiht be Enislied bj tbem. Suspicion migbt ba bushed, the body could iïung to tbo ravcnuug sbarks, witb wljicb wc gome times bad to coinbat witb our sbarp pointed or ow bars, but our frigbtful, gloomy ajipearance migbt bave been enougb to terrify tbe iiibabitauts of tbe deep. Wo elood eyeing oach other ioreomc time - he for attaok, I for resistauee. I offered to pull the alarm bell, but he clutchcd it from me. I attompted nothing further. Aftor a few minutes' pause he said, "Will you take Bbares ?" "No." "Perhnps it is not largo enough ?" "All of it is too Mfiáll." "You won't give in ?" I expected something, nud prspared myself íor it. "Never !" I replied at last. "Theo to dcatb. I" hu yeiled, eprioging at tno. Quiekaa t'hought T caught bis elevatod arm, poised iu tho tiir í'or a stab. I uiado a lungo at hiin, for rn v blond was roused at tho fiendiah attempt on mj hfo Hu parricd me, but it caught him on the shoulder, howover. Ho clutclud my wiist, and tliere we were Kowliug at eacb otbcr. Ttio fuam boMt from lii- bloodk-ss lijs, and Lis passion-wrooght faoe intimidated me moro tbao Lis blood thirsty strokes. At last he nade a forcible cffort to free his arm, but 1 beid it willi all the atrength of despcration. Auiid oatbs allí! i'.nrSt'S ItO tt rnnirliiA BiMKAlim.. l._ uu uuisc uu Mruggieu. oomciiii'.cs he was quiet and the only sound was the hurried pnntings of our cxci'.ed che.-t At lust I wrencèed my hand from bis and stabbcd liim in tlio Land. Ilis knito feil, but wilh a curse that rings yet in my cars ha throw liiuiself at ine, and grapped my body and anus in Lis gi io clisp. I eiczed him by the throat. With tlicliug of a bear he triad to break my back. Ilis stivugth seeined almost superhuman ; b;;t shifiinfc off the bars of wood by a wiggle, vvo plunged into the sea boncath. Down, down we saük. No eflort w:ia made to loosc the hold of titlicr. TigbtBr aud tighter we gripped, tul wd feil on the coral reof. Doath seemed to mu a trille. Passioa and líate seeuiod but the consunamation ol my he;irt. My ftrengtb wcsihat oí a Herculcs, the inliucnöe of tliis demoi;;ca) couüiüt, lint thc waut of airsti:ed our effoi ts. As tho Croa begao to flash befare my eyes, and the disc'of unoiisciousness to ci-CL-p over ni3, I reloasdmyhold; Crow also loosened bis. I OQW liltle about Ibis part, but beinw an xcellent slimmer, I struck out with al II filTrt"l 'IKrt . . . .- L _. tT TI t was siifling, ehokiug, dving. When I reached the siirface, with a gasp of air 1 recovercd, and was euabled to shriek, "Hoip! Lelp!" wbcn I faiuied away. As a dreaui Üuated before me - uien, ropes, boats ai;d re-cuo. 1 awoko ; but tho pain and dizziuess and confusión íq my head defy all desWiptiw. Aftor a few hours I could nse; but I was stil! feeble. I iuquired for Crow, be was in a delirium. They l"lu "lu e me Don was brought up, ho lay on the bars as dead, grasping the barof gold mith both hands. They also told me that ihoy had but barely rcscucd me frota a shark uear the schoonor. Ncxt day we eet sail. and anivcd not long after in New York. Tho Lundred pouiuis was ïny fee, but the m aster gave me fifty more for tho Lonest resistaneo. Urow was stil J bad in bis head. They put Liiu in a hospital. I called tb ree iDODthü after, and he had gono to the back-woods of the far West.