Part 73 (1/2)

The tide was very low, the sun up bright and high, and the water so clear that there was every rock below us so close that it seemed as if we could not go over some of them without touching.

”We'll row out to the buoyed grapnel,” said Bigley; ”make fast, and while you have your bathe I shall dive down, follow the rope, and see if I can find out how the grapnel has got fast.”

”If you can,” I said.

”Well, I'm going to try,” replied Bigley. ”I don't suppose it's above three fathoms deep.”

”You can't dive down three fathoms?” I said.

”Can't I?” replied Bigley laughing. ”I'm going to show you. Look here!”

He pointed to a big long stone in the bows of the boat weighing some twenty-pounds. To this a thin line was attached, and I saw his meaning at once.

”Yes,” I said, ”that will do it, only don't forget to let go.”

”No fear,” he replied; and we paddled on, with the beautiful view of the cliffs opening out as we rowed farther from the sh.o.r.e.

We had nearly a quarter of a mile to go before we struck against the floating boat-hook close to the now exposed rocks, when Bigley threw in his oar, hoisted the rough buoy aboard, unhitched the rope, ran it through the ring-bolt, and hauled on till he had the boat's stem right over the grapnel, which still refused to come; so we made fast.

Bigley then began to undress rapidly, while I proceeded to work more slowly, being curious to watch what he was doing.

I had not long to wait, for after making fast one end of the thin line to the thwart of the boat he poised the stone on the gunwale, leaped in, and then putting his left arm round the grapnel rope he got well hold of the stone, and drew it over to descend with it rapidly to the bottom.

I crept to the bows and looked over to see his white body far below in the clear water, and then he came up again to rub his eyes, pant, and hold on by the side of the boat.

”Why, what's the matter?” I said; ”seen a shark?”

”No,” he cried, ”but I've seen something else. Here, haul up the stone.”

”Bother the stone!” I exclaimed, ”I came to bathe.”

”Haul it up quickly,” he said; and I obeyed, and afterwards lifted it on to the gunwale.

He seemed very excited, but he would not speak about what he had seen, only beg me to do what he told me, which was to untie the line from the stone and then make a running noose and put it loosely round.

I did all this, wondering at his mysterious way, but only expecting that it was to fasten round the grapnel so as to pull in a fresh direction.

As soon as I had done he took hold of the loop that was round the stone, drew a long breath, and asked me to lift it over into the water.

This I did, and he went down head-first, while I again watched him below among the waving weeds all indistinct in the troubled sea.

He was down for a full minute as I crouched there with my head over the side. He seemed to be so long that I began to grow alarmed lest he had become entangled, and I was about to haul up the line attached to the stone. I looked down anxiously with my face closer to the surface, but only to make him out in a bleared indistinct manner, and then he shot up like a line of light and swam to the side and held on.

”Thought I shouldn't be able to do it,” he said; ”but I've got the line round.”

”Well, what next?” I said. ”But I say, is a grapnel worth all this trouble?”

”A grapnel?” he said with a peculiar smile.

”Yes.”