Part 42 (2/2)
”What was that?”
Brocket drew a long breath, looked for a moment meditatively at the floor, and then went on:
”Well, there happened to be a wreck of a steamer called the _Saladin_ down off the North Carolina coast, and I thought I would try her as a speculation, for I supposed that there ht be considerable ular affair Only two men had escaped; it was so sudden They said the vessel struck a rock at night when the water was perfectly still, and went down in a few ers could even be awakened It may seem horrid to you, but you ers is very profitable, for they all carry money Besides, there are their trunks, and the clerk's desk, and so on So, this time, I went down myself The shi+p lay on one side of the rock which had pierced her, having floated off just before sinking; and I had no difficulty in getting on board
After walking about the deck I went at once into the saloon Sir,” said Brocket, with an awful look at Brandon, ”if I should live for a hundred years I should never forget the sight that I saw A hundred passengers or more had been on board, and most of thean to sink Very htful multitude of dead
”But there were others,” continued Brocket, in a lower tone, ”who had clutched at pieces of furniture, at the doors, and at the chairs, and id clutch that death itself had not unlocked it So eyes, clinging, with frantic faces, to the nearest object that they had seen Several of the was this: that they were all staring at the door
”But the worst one of all was a corpse that was on the saloon table
The wretch had leaped there in his first mad impulse, and his hands had clutched a brass bar that ran across He was facing the door; his hands were still clinging, his eyes glared atat and threatening me As I entered the water was disturbed by my motion An undulation set in th of the saloon All the corpses swayed for a moment I stopped in horror Scarcely had I stopped when the corpses, agitated by the ers slipped, and they fell forward siure on the table, as its fingers were loosened, in falling forward, see at h these devils were all rushi+ng at me, led on by that fiend on the table For the first time in my life, Sir, I felt fear under the sea I started back, and rushed out quaking as though all hell was behind ot up to the surface I could not speak I instantly left the _Saladin_, came home withconversation followed about the general condition of sunken shi+ps Brocket had no fear of rivals in business, and as his interlocutor did not pretend to be one he was exceedingly communicative
He described to hio, the longest time that he could safely re a smooth bottoo on board of a wrecked shi+p with the least risk or difficulty, and the best ht find At last he becaly friendly that Brandon asked hiive personal instructions to hi that money was no object, and that any price would be paid
At this Brocket laughed ”My dear Sir, you take ht sort I should be very glad to show any one like you how to go to work Don't otof founding an asylum for the poor I'll sell you any number of suits of armor, if you want theive you instructions it will be e a ratitude that so generous an offer could excite
”But there's no use trying just yet; wait till the in You have nerve, and I have no doubt that you'll learn fast”
After this interview Brandon had ive credibility to his pretended plan for the pearl fisheries, he bought a dozen suits of diving armor and various articles which Brocket assured hiht Cato with him one day, and the Hindu described the plan which the pearl-divers pursued on the Malabar coast
According to Cato each diver had a stone which weighed about thirty pounds tied to his foot, and a sponge filled with oil fastened around his neck On plunging into the water, the weight carried hie was used fro the air through the sponge applied to his mouth All this was new to Brocket It excited his ardor
The month of May at last came Brocket showed them a place in the Hudson, about twenty miles above the city, where they could practice
Under his direction Brandon put on the armor and went down Frank worked the pued the boat The two Brandons learned their parts rapidly, and Louis, who had the hardest task, iht the idea of the work so readily, that Brocket enthusiastically assured him that he was a natural-born diver
All this tie
He gradually obtained every thing which ht by any possibility be required, and which he found out by long deliberations with Frank and by hints which he gained by well-ed questions to Brocket
Thus the th they were ready to start
CHAPTER XXII
THE ISLET OF SANTA CRUZ
It was July when Brandon left New York for San Salvador
He had purchased a beautiful little schooner, which he had fitted up like a gentleht be needed In cruising about the Bahama Isles he intended to let it be supposed that he was traveling for pleasure True, the month of July was not the ti in the West Indies, but of this he did not take ht
The way to the Bahama Isles was easy They stopped for a while at Nassau, and then went to San Salvador
The first part of the New World which Columbus discovered is now but seldom visited, and few inhabitants are found there Only six hundred people dwell upon it, and these have in general but little intelligence