Part 26 (1/2)

I had a difficult job getting him interested in a return to the wreck, but once ere in the passenger deck again, he worked like a giant ae

We hauled out the panelling and tie by use of the block and tackle and our coundeck and stacked it out of the way in the recesses of that glooallery

We had reached the well of the forward hold by the ti had broken up in the explosion and beyond the opening we could make out what appeared to be a solid dark loht and pressure

However, it was afternoon the following day before I found that I was correct We were at last into the hold, but I had not expected such a Herculean task as awaited us there

The contents of the hold had been inated with sea water for over a century Ninety per cent of the containers had rotted and collapsed, and the perishable contents had coalesced into a friable dark mass

Within this solid heap of er and ie and s We would have to dig for them

At this point we encountered our next problehtest disturbance of this rottedstorm of dark particles that blotted out the bea darkness

We were forced to work by sense of touch alone it was painfully slow progress When we encountered so it clear, un-deck and there try to identify it Soed to break open what reet at the contents

If they were of little value or interest, we tucked the field clear

At the end of the first day's e had salvaged only one ite It was a sturdy case of hard wood, covered hat appeared to be leather and with the corners bound in heavy brass It was the size of a large cabin trunk

It was so heavy that Chubby and I could not lift it between us

The weight alone gave h hopes I believed it could very readily contain part of the golden throne Although the container did not look like one that had been e carpenter and his sons in the middle of the nineteenth century, yet there was a chance that the throne had been repacked before it was shi+pped from Bombay

If it did contain part of the throne, then our task would be simplified We would knohat type of container to look for in the future Using the block and tackle Chubby and I dragged the case down the gun-deck to the gunport and there we shrouded'it in a nylon cargo net to prevent it bursting open or breaking during the ascent To the eyes spliced into the circus and inflated them fro its ascent by either spilling air fro more froelo passed us half a dozen nylon slings hich we secured the case before cliht of the case defeated our efforts to lift it over the side, for the whaleboat heeled dangerously when the three of us made the attempt We had to step the mast and use it as a derrick, only then did our co water from its seams

The moment that it sank to the deck Chubby scrambled back to the motors and ran for the channel The tide pressed closely on our heels as ent

The case was too weighty and our curiosity too strong to allow us to carry it up to the caves We opened it on the beach, prising the lid open with a pair of jennny bars The elaborate locking device in the lid was of brass and had withstood the ravages of salt sea water It resisted our efforts bravely, but at last with a rending of ork the lid flew back and creaked against the heavily corroded hinges

My disappointer throne It was only when Sherry lifted out one of the large gleaan to suspect that we had been awarded an enormous bonus

It was an entre plate she held, and old However, when I snatched a ned rack and turned it to exailt

The gold plating had protected it from the sea so that it was perfectly preserved, a masterpiece of the silversmith's art with a raised coat of arms in the centre and the rim wondrously chased with scenes of woods and deer, of huntshed almost two pounds and as I set it aside and exaht of the chest fully accounted for

There were servings for thirty-six guests in the set; soup bowls, fish plates, entre plates, dessert bowls, side plates and all the cutlery to go with it There were serving dishes, adish, wine coolers, dish covers and a carving dish alht with the same coat of arms, and the ornamental scenes of wild anined to hold this array of plate

”Ladies and gentlemen,” I said, ”as your chairman, it behaves me to assure you, one and all, that our little venture is now in profit”

”It's just plates and things,” said Angelo, and I winced theatrically

”My dear Angelo, this is probably one of the few COMPlete sets of Georgian banquet silverware re ”anywhere in the world - it's priceless” ”How much?” asked Chubby, doubtfully

”Good Lord, I don't know It would depend of course on the inal owner - this coat of ars to some noble house A wealthy nobleman on service in India, an earl, a duke perhaps, even a viceroy” Chubby looked atto sell him a spavined horse

”How ood day,” I hesitated, ”I don't know, say, a hundred thousand pounds”

Chubby spat into the sand and shook his head You couldn't fool old Chubby

”This fellow Sotheby, does he run a loony house?”

”It's true, Chubby,” Sherry cut in ”this stuff is worth a fortune

It could be more than that”

Chubby was now torn between natural scepticisentle his hat and rubbing his head, spitting once

However, he handled the case with new respect e dragged it up through the palms to the caves We stored it behind the stack of jerrycans, and I went to fetch a new bottle of whisky

”Even if there is no tiger throne in the wreck, we aren't going to do too badly out of this,” I told the and ot to be crazy”

”We've got to go through that hold and the cabinsto leave a fortune down there if we don't”

”Even the little items, less spectacular than the silver plate, they have enorreed ”Trouble is when you touch anything down there it stirs up such a fog you can't see the tip of your nose,” glooood cheer

”Listen, Chubby, you know the centrifugal water puot out at Monkey Bay?” I asked, and Chubby nodded

”Will he lend it to us?” Arnie was Chubby's uncle He owned a sarden on the southern side of St Mary's island

”He ht,” Chubby answered warily ”Why?”

”I want to try and rig a dredge pump,” I explained and sketched it for them in the sand between my feet ”We set the puth of steahed it out with er ”Then we use it like a vacuum cleaner in the hold, suck out all that ht,” Angelo burst out enthusiastically ”When it spills out of the puh a sieve, and ill be able to pick up all the sht itee or heavy will be left behind”

We discussed it for an hour working out details and refine that tins of enthusiaser

”It h accolade

”Well, you better go fetch that pump then, hadn't you?” I asked

”I think I will have one more drink,” he procrastinated, and I handed hiested ”It will save tirunted, and went to fetch his overcoat