Part 32 (2/2)
”Ah got a betteh one than this hyeh, boss,” put in the boatht be willin' to sell Costs h”
”Take us there,” ordered the capitalist
The boat pull, al before he stopped, wiped his forehead on his ares hyeh, boss”
At a nod frolass and watched the bottom carefully as the boatman rowed slowly over it How the boy wished for the lenses in the glasses belonging to Mr Collier which he had used in Ber on and the sun did not strike the water at the right angle, Colin could see that it was unusually fine sponge ground
[Illustration: YOUNG SPONGE ATTACHED TO CEMENT DISK, READY FOR PLANTING
(Actual size)
_Courtesy of the U S Bureau of Fisheries_]
[Illustration: SHEEPSWOOL SPONGE GROWN FROM SMALL PIECE AS ABOVE, 48 MONTHS OLD, SIX INCHES ACROSS
_Courtesy of the U S Bureau of Fisheries_]
”Yes,” he said, ”that's more like”
Mr Murren looked about him
”How in the world do you know, Pete,” he said to the boatround or anybody else's? I don't see any stakes or evidences of ownershi+p”
”If Ah starts to haul up sponges on soet off, suah,” replied the boatman
”But suppose he doesn't see you”
The boatrinned
”Dat certainly aaht a place he'd have to watch it all the time, then?”
”Suah, sah”
”Thank you,” was the reply, ”I'll take some place in shalloater where I can build a house and hire some felloatch it and work it”
”Ain' no trouble hyeh,” the boat his shoulders, ”ev'body wo'k his own patch”
”But how do you get the sponges?” was the query ”You have to dive for them, don't you?”
The boatman shook his head
”Sometimes, if de wateh's mo' than fifty feet deep Not of'en See, Ah show you”
He reached under the forward thwart and pulled out a light three-pronged hook and fitted it to a jointed pole, screwing the two sections together so that it th He took the water glass and rowed the boat until it was directly over a sponge