“Although you refused last night, I hope you’ll come on board to lunch,” he said, after greeting them pleasantly.
“We have too much on hand,” Jimmy replied. “In fact, we’re not going to stop for a meal. It’s unusually fine weather and we must get into the strong-room before dark. I expect it will take us three or four hours yet.”
“It’s a good excuse,” returned Aynsley. “In a way, I’m glad you’re too busy to come, because I imagine my father is very keen on finishing the job, and I don’t want him to get worrying about the delay.” He paused, and added frankly3: “I’m going to ask a favor. He’s not well, and I gather that you and he are to some extent opposed. Now I can’t expect you to sacrifice your interest, but you might try to avoid any heated dispute as far as possible. Excitement isn’t good for him.”
“We can promise that,” said Jimmy. “It looks as if you knew nothing about the business.”
“I don’t. And, more than that, I have no wish to learn anything.”
“We’re not in a position to tell you much if you pressed us; but it struck us that your father wasn’t looking very fit, and it might be better if you stopped him from going down.”
“I can’t,” Aynsley answered with a smile. “I’m afraid I haven’t much control over him.”
Early in the evening Clay came on board and sat in the cockpit while the men relieved each other below. He asked a question now and then, but for the most part waited quietly, watching the bubbles that rose in milky4 effervescence.
At last the diver came up, and was followed closely by Bethune, bringing a rope.
“The strong-room’s open,” he said exultantly5. “Heave on that line and see what you get!”
Moran pulled with a will, for there was some resistance to be overcome, and Jimmy leaned down in strong excitement when a wooden case smeared6 with sand broke the surface. Seizing it he came near to being dragged over the rail, and Bethune had to help him to lift it on board. Clay examined the case coolly, studying the half-washed-out marks.
“You ought to get something handsome for salvage7 on that, and I won’t contest your claim,” he said. “Keep it on board if you like; our diver’s paid by the day. Now, if you’re ready, we’ll go down.”
They carefully fastened on his dress, but when Bethune gave him a few instructions he said his own man had told him all he needed to know during the voyage. Jimmy put on his helmet and went first down the ladder, waiting at the bottom for Clay. It was, he felt, a strange experience to be walking along the sea-floor with a man who had been his enemy; but he was now master of the situation. Indeed, he had to help his companion when they reached the entrance to the hold and he did not think that Clay could have crept up the dark passage between the shaft8 tunnel and the hanging weed on the ship’s crushed side without his assistance. Their lamps glimmered9 feebly through the water that sucked in and out, and it was no easy matter to keep signal-lines and air-pipes clear. Clay, however, though awkward and somewhat feeble in his movements, showed no want of nerve.
When they crawled into the strong-room he stood still, moving his lamp. The pale flashes wavered to and fro, searching the rough, iron-bound planks11, until they stopped, fixed12 upon one spot. Clay beckoned13 Jimmy toward it, and then, losing his balance, lurched and swayed in a ludicrous manner before he could steady himself. Jimmy thought the man must be mistaken, for he had indicated a plank10 in the deck between two iron plates, although, as the wreck14 had fallen over, the plank was on one side of them, instead of being overhead. He turned to Clay with a questioning motion of his hands, but the flicker15 of light was still fixed upon the same spot. Jimmy raised the crowbar he had brought and drove it into a joint16 nearly level with his head, and Clay indicated that he was doing right.
Jimmy knew that he had no time to lose. Clay was not in good health, and had already been under water as long as was safe for a man unaccustomed to the pressure. If he broke down, it would be difficult to get him out of the hold. For all that, Jimmy was reluctant to abandon the search a moment before it was necessary. It was getting dark, the stream was gaining strength, and it did not seem probable that any one could get down again that night. Jimmy wanted to finish his task.
The beam he attacked was soft, but two bolts ran through it and an iron strap17 was clamped along its edge. The rotten timber tore away in flakes18, but Jimmy could not break out a large piece, and the iron fastenings deflected19 his bar. He glanced at his companion, who encouraged him by a gesture; and then fell to work again with determined20 energy. He did not know how long he continued, but he was disturbed by a movement of the water and saw Clay swaying slackly to and fro. It looked as if he were about to fall, but his heavy boots and buoyant dress kept him upright. Still he might go down, and Jimmy knew that it is hard to recover one’s balance in a diving dress. Clay must be got out at once. Jimmy seized his arm and made his way toward the opening, thrusting his companion along the side of the shaft tunnel.
It was with keen relief that he dragged him clear of the splintered beams at the entrance to the hold and stepped out on the level bottom of the sea. No light came down through the water, even the shadow of the sloop above was no longer discernible; but Jimmy had his signal-line for guide and followed it with his hand on Clay’s shoulder, until he distinguished21 the ripple22 of the tide about the ladder.
Pushing his companion toward it, he watched his clumsy ascent23 and then clambered up. When he got on board Clay was sitting on deck, but he sank back limply against the cabin top as they took his helmet off. It was nearly dark, but they could see that his lips were blue, and that his livid face was mottled by faint purple patches. He gasped24 once or twice, and then began to fumble25 awkwardly at the breast of the diving dress.
“I know what he wants!” cried Aynsley. “Get these things off him as quick as you can! Somebody bring me a spoon!”
They hurriedly stripped the canvas covering from the half-conscious man, and, taking a small bottle from his vest pocket, gave him a few drops of the liquid. It took effect, for in a few moments Clay feebly raised himself.
“Better now; not used to diving,” he said, and turned to Jimmy as Aynsley and a seaman26 helped him into the waiting gig. “We’ll get the case next time.”
The gig pulled away, and the three men watched it disappear into the darkness.
“It’s lucky you were able to bring him up,” Bethune observed.
“I was scared at first,” Jimmy confessed. “Perhaps I should have come up sooner, but he seemed determined to stop.”
“What about the case?”
“We hadn’t time to get at it. You see, it’s not in the strong-room. He made me start cutting out the underside of the deck.”
“The deck!” exclaimed Moran. “Then they must have put the stuff in the poop cabin!”
“I don’t think so. I expect there’s a shallow space between the main beams and the cabin floor.”
“And that’s where the case is? It strikes me as curious; distinctly curious!”
“I dare say; I didn’t think of that. The most important thing is that we ought to reach the case in about an hour.”
“It’s too risky27. The tide’s running strong now, and it’s going to be very dark. We have kept clear of serious trouble so far, and I see no sign of wind.”
Jimmy reluctantly agreed to wait until the morning and Bethune went below to get supper ready.
At daybreak Aynsley pulled across in the yacht’s small dinghy, and his face had an anxious look as he entered the Cetacea’s cabin, where Jimmy was cleaning some of the pump fittings by lamplight.
“How is Mr. Clay?” Jimmy asked.
“He looks very ill. I left him getting up and sculled across as quietly as I could to have a talk with you. Can you do anything to prevent his going down? I don’t think he’s fit for it.”
“I’m afraid not. You see, we’re at variance28, in a way, and if we made any objections he’d get suspicious.”
“You couldn’t play some trick with the diving gear? I’m worried about him; the pressure and exertion29 might be dangerous.”
“We might put our own pump out of action, but we couldn’t meddle30 with yours, and he might insist on going alone.”
“That wouldn’t do,” said Aynsley. “I wouldn’t hesitate to smash our outfit31, but he’d get so savage32 about it that the excitement would do more harm than the diving.”
“Then you’ll have to reason with him.”
Aynsley smiled.
“I’ve been trying it ever since we dropped anchor, and it hasn’t been a success; you don’t know my father.” He gave Jimmy a steady look. “He means you to be his companion, and although I’ve no claim on you, I want you to promise that you’ll take care of him.”
Everything considered, it struck Jimmy as curious that he should be the recipient33 of this request; but he sympathized with Aynsley, and imagined that his anxiety was justified34. Clay had treated them harshly, but he was ill and apparently35 powerless to injure them further.
“Very well,” he promised. “I’ll do the best I can.”
“Thanks!” responded Aynsley in a grateful tone. “I can trust you, and I’ve a notion that my father feels safe in your hands; though he’s not confiding36, as a rule.”
“If you’ll wait a minute we’ll give you some coffee,” Bethune said hospitably37.
“No, thanks!” replied Aynsley. “I must get back before I’m missed. There’d be trouble if my irascible father guessed why I’d come here.”
He jumped into the dinghy and sculled her silently into the mist that drifted between the vessels38; and half an hour later Clay came off with the diver in the gig. His face had a gray, pinched look, and Jimmy noticed that he breathed rather hard after the slight effort of getting on board the sloop.
“I think you had better let me finish the job, sir,” he said. “You’d be more comfortable if you waited quietly on board until we brought up the case.”
“I’m going down,” Clay answered shortly. “You might not be able to get at it without my help.”
“Anyway, you can wait until we break through the deck. It will shorten the time you need stay below.”
After some demur39, Clay agreed to this; but he suggested that Moran and Bethune should clear the ground instead of sending his own diver, and in a few minutes they were under water. It was some time before they came up, and when they had undressed Clay looked hard at Bethune.
“Have you cut the hole?” he asked.
“Yes,” said Bethune; “I think it’s big enough.”
“You didn’t go through?”
“No; we’d been down quite long enough.”
“Give me that brandy,” Clay said to a steward40 in the waiting gig, and turned to Jimmy when he had drained a small wineglass. “Now we’ll get to work as soon as we can.”
Jimmy went down the ladder and Clay followed him steadily41 across the sand. The tide was low, the stream slack, and the dim green water was filled with strange refractions of the growing light above. The sloop rode overhead, a patch of opaque42 shadow, and the wreck loomed up, black and shapeless, in front. They reached her without trouble, and Jimmy switched on his lamp and carefully cleared Clay’s air-pipe and line before he crawled into the dark gap. The man seemed to move with greater ease and confidence than he had shown on the previous day, and Jimmy felt reassured43 as he guided him along the side of the shaft tunnel. Glancing at the long streamers of weed that wavered mysteriously through the gloom, he remembered the sense of fear and shrinking he had had to overcome on his first few descents. It looked as if he need not be anxious about his companion.
It was more difficult to get him into the strong-room, but they entered it safely and Jimmy saw that Bethune and Moran had thrown up a bank of sand under the hole between the beams. This would make it easier to reach, but as he was arranging his air-pipe preparatory to entering Clay made an imperative44 sign. Jimmy felt surprised, because the man obviously meant that he was going first. Though it would not be hard to scramble45 up after seizing a timber, the feat46 would require some exertion, and Jimmy tried to make this clear, but Clay disregarded his signaled objections. It was impossible to explain himself properly in pantomime, and, as Clay seemed determined, Jimmy let him go. He might grow suspicious and perhaps combative47 if force were used to detain him.
Jimmy helped him up, and then felt anxious as Clay’s swollen48 legs and heavy boots disappeared through the hole. The space above must be low, and was probably cumbered with wreckage49, but Jimmy saw that Clay’s air-pipe and signal-line ran steadily through the gap, which implied that he found no difficulty in moving about. Faint flashes of light, broken up into wavering reflections, came out of the hole and Jimmy switched off his lamp so that he could see them better. Though he meant to keep his promise to Aynsley, he admitted that the tension he felt was not solely50 on Clay’s account. The recovery of the case was of great importance to his party, and if they failed to secure it now a change in the weather might frustrate51 the next attempt or perhaps place the gold altogether out of reach.
After a while it struck Jimmy that Clay ought to come out. The man was unaccustomed to diving and was in precarious52 health; moreover, if he could not get at the case, Jimmy meant to try. He pulled the line, and got a signal in answer that gave him no excuse for interfering53; so he waited until the pipe and line began to run backward. Then a light flashed sharply as if in warning, and as Jimmy turned on his lamp a dark object fell from the gap. It was large and square and, striking the sand with its edge, darkened the disturbed water.
Thrilled with a sense of triumph, Jimmy turned to help Clay, who was coming out of the hole; but as Clay’s legs dangled54 he lost his grip and fell backward. He did not come down violently, but sank until one foot touched the sand, and then made fantastic contortions55. His buoyant dress supported him and he looked a grotesque56 figure as he lurched about. Jimmy, however, was alarmed, for it dawned on him that this was not the result of inexperienced clumsiness. Clay had lost control of his limbs: he was too weak to keep the balance between his heavy helmet and his weighted boots. Indeed, he was obviously helpless, and it would be a difficult task to get him out of the wreck; but it must be set about at once.
Jimmy dragged him through the opening into the hold and felt keen relief when he saw that both pipes ran clear; then he guided him to the tunnel and, letting him lean on it, pushed him along. Clay was a big, heavy man, but his weight was counteracted57 by the air in his dress, and he could be moved with a push almost like a floating object. Sometimes he moved too far and fell away from the tunnel. Jimmy long afterward58 remembered with a shudder59 the time they spent in reaching the outlet60. He could not use his lamp, because he needed both hands; and he was horribly afraid that the pipes and lines might get foul61. He believed that he threw Clay down and dragged him out into the open water by his helmet, but he had only a hazy62 recollection of the matter.
When they reached the level sand, Jimmy signaled urgently with his line, and got a reply. Then the rope he looped round Clay’s shoulders tightened63 and he guided and steadied him as they were drawn64 toward the ladder. A few moments later Clay was lifted on to the Cetacea’s deck, and Jimmy sat down on the cabin top, feeling very limp.
When somebody took off his helmet he saw Clay lying on the deck, with Aynsley bending over him holding a spoon to his mouth. Jimmy thought he could not get him to take the restorative, but he was too dazed and exhausted65 to notice clearly, and shortly afterward Clay was lifted into the gig. It headed for the yacht, the crew pulling hard, and Jimmy turned to Bethune.
“I was afraid I couldn’t get him up,” he said weakly. “He seems pretty bad.”
“I think he is; but you don’t look fit yourself.”
“The dizziness is the worst,” murmured Jimmy. “I’ll go below and lie down. But I’m forgetting; we found the case.”
Bethune helped him into the cabin, and made him comfortable on a locker66. He had a bad headache and a curious sense of heaviness which grew worse when the pain lessened67. In a short time, however, he had fallen into a deep sleep.
And while he slept, Moran went below and brought up the case.
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1
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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sloop
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| n.单桅帆船 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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milky
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| adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的 | |
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exultantly
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| adv.狂欢地，欢欣鼓舞地 | |
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smeared
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| 弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上 | |
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7
salvage
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| v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救 | |
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8
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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glimmered
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| v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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13
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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16
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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17
strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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18
flakes
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| 小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人 | |
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deflected
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| 偏离的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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23
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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24
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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fumble
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| vi.笨拙地用手摸、弄、接等，摸索 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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variance
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| n.矛盾，不同 | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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meddle
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| v.干预，干涉，插手 | |
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outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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33
recipient
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| a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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36
confiding
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| adj.相信人的，易于相信的v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的现在分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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37
hospitably
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| 亲切地，招待周到地，善于款待地 | |
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38
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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39
demur
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| v．表示异议，反对 | |
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40
steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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41
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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42
opaque
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| adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的 | |
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43
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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44
imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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45
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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46
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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47
combative
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| adj.好战的；好斗的 | |
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48
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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49
wreckage
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| n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏 | |
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50
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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51
frustrate
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| v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦 | |
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52
precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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53
interfering
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| adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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54
dangled
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| 悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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55
contortions
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| n.扭歪，弯曲；扭曲，弄歪，歪曲( contortion的名词复数 ) | |
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56
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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57
counteracted
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| 对抗，抵消( counteract的过去式 ) | |
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58
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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59
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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60
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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61
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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62
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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63
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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64
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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65
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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66
locker
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| n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人 | |
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67
lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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