Part 23 (1/2)
Still retaining my hold upon the sinker with one hand, I now rapidly shovelled the oysters into my ”tray” with the other, as long as I could hold my breath; and I was satisfied, at the first experiment, that my expedient was a complete success, thrice as many oysters being deposited in the tray at one dive as I had obtained altogether in the morning.
I soon had to rise to get a fresh inhalation; but by hauling up the sinker every time, so as to have the benefit of its a.s.sistance in taking me to the bottom, I was enabled to reserve all my breath and energy for my work at the oysters; and so successful was I, that, in three descents, I managed to place upon the tray as many oysters as it would hold. It was now hauled up, its contents carefully transferred to the cutter's deck, and the anchor or tray again lowered to the bottom.
This operation had been repeated five times, with the result that a goodly pile of bivalves now graced the deck; and I had crone down a second time on the sixth _round_ (if I may so express myself), when suddenly a dark shadow fell upon the spot on which I was at work. I glanced upward, and, to my unspeakable horror, saw an enormous shark floating motionless within a fathom of, and directly above, me.
Why he did not attack me at once I could not imagine but I conjecture that it was because, lying flat upon the ground as I was, he had not room to turn, as sharks invariably do when seizing their prey. My blood seemed fairly to congeal in my veins as I realised my appalling position.
I _must_ rise to the surface in a very few seconds or drown where I was; and I felt convinced that the moment I was far enough from the bottom to permit of the monster making his rush, he would do so.
Suddenly, the remembrance of my sheath-knife flashed across my brain.
There was no time to hesitate; my powers of endurance were almost utterly exhausted, and I felt that I could hold my breath but a second or two longer so I quickly drew the knife, and darting suddenly upwards, succeeded in grasping the shark with my left hand by his starboard fin, whilst with my right I plunged my weapon to the hilt in his gleaming white belly, extending my arm to its full length as I did so, and thus inflicting a wound nearly or quite two feet in length.
Remembering the wonderful vitality of the shark, I did not content myself with this; but thrusting my armed hand into the gaping wound, I drew the knife two or three times rapidly across his interior arrangements, inflicting such severe injuries that in less than a minute after I rose to the surface blood-stained from head to foot, and speechless with exhaustion, the shark also appeared, floating dead within a dozen yards of the cutter.
Bob's strong and ready hand was promptly extended to a.s.sist me in over the cutter's low gunwale but so thoroughly exhausted was I, that I felt utterly unable to make the slightest effort in aid of my s.h.i.+pmate's exertions, and he was obliged to drag me bodily inboard, where, after an unavailing effort to stand, I sank upon the deck, gasping for breath, and utterly unable to utter a word.
Ella's eager face blanched deadly white at the horrifying spectacle I presented as I lay p.r.o.ne at her feet, my once white clothing now deeply imbued with blood, and I thought she would have fainted; but she struggled bravely against the weakness, though she could not repress a violent shudder, which thrilled through her from head to foot.
Sinking to her knees at my side, she gently raised me until my head rested upon her throbbing breast, and gazing upon my face with a look expressive of the deepest anxiety, she inquired, ”Where are you hurt, Harry? Is it much? Are you in _very_ great pain?”
I made a powerful but unavailing effort to reply, when seeing my lips move, but without any sound issuing from them, she suddenly lost her self-control, and shrieking, ”He is dying, Bob; dying, I tell you. Oh!
what can we do to save him?” burst into an overwhelming pa.s.sion of tears and clasping me convulsively to her bosom, she sobbed forth wild prayers for mercy, mingled with the tenderest and most endearing epithets that ever sprang from the heart of a pa.s.sionately loving woman to her lips.
Surprised beyond all power of expression, and almost overwhelmed with delight at this utterly unexpected betrayal of her feeling for me, I could not suffer her to continue; so having by this time somewhat recovered my breath, I gasped out, ”I am not hurt, Ella; indeed I am not; I was only overcome for the moment with exhaustion; pray calm yourself.”
”Not hurt!” she exclaimed eagerly; ”not injured at all? Thank G.o.d, oh, thank G.o.d for that! But--was it kind, sir--was it like a gentleman, to permit me to be surprised into such expressions as those which have just escaped my lips? How can I ever hold up my head again in your presence, or look you in the face?”
”Hush, Ella, darling,” I whispered. ”Do not distress yourself, I entreat you. I have much to say to you, and what has just pa.s.sed has but precipitated matters a little. Retire below for a short time, and calm your agitated feelings; and this evening I will ask you to favour me with a few minutes of your society on sh.o.r.e, when I will enter into such explanations as I trust will prove entirely satisfactory, and have the effect of completely healing your wounded sensibility.
”Why,” continued I cheerily, ”that is well; the roses are already returning to your cheeks, and by the time that I have been down once or twice more, and have secured another--”
”Merciful Heaven!” she exclaimed, in horrified accents, ”do I hear aright? Is it possible you can be mad enough to contemplate going into the water again, after having so narrowly escaped from such a horrible death? You _must_ not, Harry and you _will_ not, if you entertain the slightest feeling of--of--friends.h.i.+p for me. Indeed, I could not bear it; another shock, such as I have just received, would kill me. _Pray_ have some little compa.s.sion upon me.”
”Enough, Ella, and more than enough, I answered, deeply moved.
Henceforward your wishes are law to me and, since you object to my going overboard again, I promise you faithfully that I will not do so. Now go below, dear, and lie down for a short time, whilst Bob and I take the cutter back to her old moorings.”
As soon as she was out of sight, Bob, who had stood patiently on one side whilst the above _denouement_ was taking place, approached, and, extending his hand, exclaimed:
”Now that the little beauty has done with ye, lad, give an old friend a shake of your flipper. I'm right down glad to see ye well and hearty, my dear boy,” he continued, with strong emotion.
”We both saw that doubly and everlastingly d.a.m.ned brute range up and take a berth close above ye; and, to own the plain, honest truth, I put ye down as good as done for. There warn't no time to do anything by way of warning ye, or lending ye a hand anyways; for, afore I could collect my scattered wits, we saw ye let go the sinker, and next minute the water alongside was like a biling pot; and then we seed the blood, and d.a.m.n me if I didn't turn that sick and queer I couldn't see a thing, just for a moment; and when I hauled ye aboard, I couldn't for the life of me tell whether you was dead or alive. Now let's get up them few h'isters that was like to have cost us all so dear, and get away from the spot as soon as we can.”
We were not very long in getting the remainder of the oysters on board, and soon afterwards we had the cutter back at her old berth. Our first task, as soon as the craft was at anchor again, was to transfer our booty to the sh.o.r.e, where we spread them out on a large tarpaulin on the sand to die. The method pursued by the regular pearl-fishers, I believe, is to allow the fish to remain until they are in an advanced stage of decay, when the pearls are sought for amongst the putrid ma.s.s.
I felt no inclination, however, for such a task, and, moreover, did not care to expend so much time as this process involved. I conjectured that, the fish once dead, they might be opened with comparatively little difficulty; and I thought that by the time our overhaul and painting was completed, the oysters would be in a fit state for operating upon.
Ella now reappeared on deck somewhat more composed, though there was still a slight nervous flutter perceptible in her movements. I took advantage of her presence on deck to remark casually that I would now go below and change my dress, and cleanse myself from the traces of my recent encounter, which I forthwith did; and when I had refreshed myself with a copious ablution, I really felt very little the worse for my adventure. Indeed, I believe that I was less discomposed by it than either of the others.
After tea was over, I took occasion to remind Ella that I had somewhat to say to her, and requested her to accompany me on sh.o.r.e and take a short walk on the beach, that I might speak without being embarra.s.sed by Bob's presence.