STORY ONE, CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
A CRAFTY FOE.
It was with a feeling of intense agony that Hester Pugh watched herhusband as he stepped on to the ladder and gradually descended below thesurface of the water, and then with beating heart she altered herposition, going beyond the others and leaning over the bulwark, so thatshe could peer down into the clear water and follow his every motion.
It would have been painful enough if they had parted lovingly, but, withthe knowledge that his doubts had been strengthened by her refusal toexplain, her position was doubly painful. In bygone days, before theirmarriage, Dutch had been one of the most successful and daring ofdivers, more from choice than necessity; but of late he had devotedhimself to drawing and making plans at her desire, though his old loveof submarine adventure was strong within him still; and now it almostseemed as if his resumption of his old pursuit had been caused by hatredof her.
For the time being all thought of the hidden peril to which those onboard were exposed was swallowed up in the present danger, and, notnoticing who was her nearest neighbour, she watched the progress of herhusband with the great drops of anguish starting to her forehead. Everymovement he made was plainly to be seen by all on board, and when MrMeldon first raised the cry of "Shark!" so intense was the interest inthe proceedings that no one paid the slightest heed to her. Thus it wasthat, in a state that made her ask herself sometimes whether this wasnot some wild dream, she saw the bustle on deck accompanying MrParkley's efforts to drive off the unwelcome visitors, of which therewere two. A cartridge was thrown, and exploded close to one of them,with the result that it seemed to sink to the bottom, for they saw it nomore, while, when the other was seen to be making straight for thediver, the cry arose that he should be drawn up, and under Rasp'sdirection the men were starting the life-line with a run, when--
"Hold hard!" cried Rasp, "he's a signalling `All right.'"
"But it is madness," cried Mr Parkley and the captain in a breath.
"He's a signalling `All right,'" cried Rasp sternly. "You should nevertouch a diver when he does that. See there."
Rasp quickly pulled the line, so as to tighten it, when the impatientjerk at the signal-cord came again.
"Can you see exactly what is going on, Mr Meldon?" said the captain.
"Yes, quite plainly," was the reply, "he has his knife out, and is goingto fight the shark."
Hester had already seen this, and had shrunk aside, covering her eyeswith her hands, fearing to listen to the conversation that ensued as MrMeldon described in vivid words what we already know. She heard, too,the various impatient suggestions that Dutch should be drawn up, and inan agony of supplication she prayed that this might take place, butalways, till she felt that she hated him with an intensity of dislike,she heard Rasp's harsh voice dominating the others as, with the sense ofresponsibility that he had a diver's life in his hands, he absolutelyrefused. He was lord of the proceedings, having been invested by Dutchwith his duties, and he maintained his position after nearly yieldingtwo or three times and tightening the life-line.
"There, you may say what you like," he growled, "I know my dooty, andI'm a-doing on it. You should never meddle with a man as is down tillhe asks for help--go on with that pumping, my lads, keep it up," hesaid, interrupting his didactic remarks to admonish the sailors at theair-pump--"'cause if you do, you means well p'raps, but you onlyflurries the man, and that's the very thing as you oughtn't to do. Doyou know what would make the best divers, Oakum?"
"No," growled that worthy.
"Cowcumbers, 'cause they're so cool. Now, lookye here everybody, he'sgoing on as right as can be. Mr Dutch keeps on giving the signal `Allright,' so why should we interfere. I'm master o' this descent, and heshan't be interfered with."
"But, you madman, there's a huge shark just going to dash at him," criedMr Meldon excitedly.
"Then I'm very sorry for the shark," said Rasp coolly. "Lor' bless you,Mr Dutch is too much for any shark as can swim. Madman, eh, MrDoctor. What would you say to me if I called you a madman for notletting me interfere when you'd got your patient a-going on all right,and just because I thought he was in danger? My patient's a-going onall right. There, he says so himself," he continued, as the customarysignal passed along the line.
"Rasp is quite right," said Mr Parkley, who stood there with acartridge in one hand, the wire in the other, and the battery betweenhis feet. "A diver should never be interfered with."
"There, hear that?" said Rasp, watching the tube where it descended intothe water.
"But look! Good heavens, it is horrible!" cried the doctor.
Hester's hands dropped from her face, and she gazed down now to see athick cloud of blood rising through the water, shutting out the figureof him she loved, and white as ashes, with eyes starting, and partedlips, but without uttering a word, she gazed on.
"Well, what o' that?" said Rasp coolly, as he held the signal-linedelicately in his hand, drawing in and slackening out like a man feelingwith a ground line. "He's as right as a trivet, and I've felt him allalong with the line here, and he's give the shark such a one-er. I felthim let go at it."
"I'm afraid it is his own blood," exclaimed Mr Wilson.
"For heaven's sake be silent, Wilson!" cried Mr Parkley. "There,you've made Miss Studwick faint."
In fact Bessy, standing by her brother's side as he watched the whole ofthe proceedings, had sunk down softly on the deck; but when the doctorturned to her help, John Studwick angrily repelled him.
"It was your horrible talk began it, and that long fool's finished thework," exclaimed John Studwick. "Now, go back and see the shark killed.I can attend to my sister. Send for some cold water, father," headded, as the captain came up.
But it was needless, for Bessy was recovering fast, and after lookingwildly about for a few moments she sat up by her brother, and held hishand with her back turned to the group on deck.
"Bah!" ejaculated Rasp, coolly. "There, keep clear o' that chube," heshouted. "It's shark's blood, that's what it is, and you'll see himturn up by-and-by. Here he comes; no he ain't turned up yet. Now he'sgoing down again. There," he cried directly after, as the line glidedsoftly through his hand. "Mr Dutch has given him another. Look at thecloud rising again, and--ha, ha, ha! What did I tell you?"
As he spoke Hester saw the form of the shark rising slowly through theruddy cloud till its white belly gleamed in the sunshine, and Rasppointed out with delight the two great gashes through which its lifeblood was passing out, while the monster made a few ineffectualstruggles to recover itself, and then floated slowly to leeward.
"There ain't many about here just now," said Rasp, "or else that bloodwould have brought 'em round. Ha! there won't be much of him left byto-morrow morning. Serve him right for interfering with divers."
Hester's eyes closed again for a few moments as her heart went up ingrateful thanksgiving. Then she was watching the gradually clearingwater till she could see her husband once again, and as she saw himmoving it was with a feeling of hope that he would come up now.
But as we know he passed right under the schooner, and there were morespectators crossed over to the other side to watch his efforts, whileshe, faint and exhausted with her emotions, sat down on a coil of rope,gazing at the tube that passed close by her, Rasp having set a goodlylength free as soon as he found that Dutch was on the move, and she hadseen this long snake-like pipe creep out well over the side as the diverwent farther and farther away, knowing that it was the bond which heldhim to life, and feeling with a kind of fascination that she could notexplain that it was now her duty to watch the tube and see that it wasnot touched.
As she felt this, she raised her eyes for a moment, to see that Rasp wasstanding with his back to her and that she was alone, for all were nowintent upon the diver's actions, and commenting upon his work.
"He's found out the place," said one. "He's got something--no hehasn't," and so on.
Just then Hester Pugh becam
e aware of some one standing close by her,and turning her eyes it was to find that Laure had crossed unnoticed toher side, where he stood as if looking over the bulwarks for sharks, butreally all the time with his eyes fixed upon and fascinating hers, whileto her horror she saw that one of his bare feet kept touching the tube.
"I've been waiting for this opportunity," he said at last in a lowwhisper. "You tried to betray me this morning."
"No, no," she moaned, as the wretch placed his foot upon the tube,smiling at her the while.
"You will betray me in spite of my warning," he continued in the samelow tone; "and for this, because I will not have my plans spoiled, andpartly because I hate Dutch Pugh and love you, my child, I am going topress my foot down upon this tube. Hark! dare to raise your voice inthe least," he whispered fiercely, as he saw her white lips part, "andit is his instant death. Do you understand? If I stop the flow of airfor only a few seconds, he will be so startled that he will not recoverhimself, while if I double the time it will make assurance doubly sure,as you English people say. Swear now to me, by all that is holy, by allyour future hopes, that you will not betray me."
"Heaven give me strength, I cannot," panted Hester.
"My foot is pressing the tube," he hissed. "But there I know, sweetlove, that you wish him dead, that there may be no hindrance to ourpassion."
"Monster!" she cried.
"Hush!" he whispered. "Will you swear?"
"Yes, yes," she panted.
"That you will neither by word nor deed betray me."
"Yes," she said hoarsely. "I swear."
"Thanks, dear one," he whispered. "It is but for a few days. Mind,they have found one of my treasure stores; they shall work for me--forus--in ignorance, and bring it all to the surface. For us, Hester. Youneed not turn away; I read your heart, and that you will love me as Ilove you soon, and you shall revel in wealth like an Eastern princess.But now you must swear more; I cannot wait. I will not have thoseloathing looks and angry eyes directed at me. You shall swear that youwill be mine when and where I ask it of you, or--"
"Are you some fiend?" exclaimed Hester with a look of horror as she sawhis foot pressing the tube.
"No," he whispered passionately, "only a man whom you have driven nearlymad with your beauty, and who can and will suffer no more. Have you notalways been cold and rejected me, even in spite of my prayers? Now I amdriven to extremities. Swear that you will be mine, or Dutch Pugh diesbeneath your feet."
"I cannot--will not," she faltered, with her senses reeling.
"Cannot! Will not! You must and shall. You know that I have but tokeep my foot firmly pressed down for a few moments, and he becomessenseless. And what then? Who in the confusion will know that it wasI? Swear it to me, girl, this moment. Hester, I implore, as well ascommand. Have I not told you my love? Listen to me. Have I notfollowed you here--done everything for your sake?"
"I will not swear," exclaimed Hester in low, panting tones, and then sheuttered a faint cry, which was checked on the instant, as with a look ofpassionate rage that he could not control she saw Laure flatten thetube, and knew that it was to her husband's death.
"Will you swear now?" he whispered. "He is dying. Will you not savehim?"
"I cannot, I cannot," she panted. "Oh, it is too horrible. Dutch, mylove, it is for your sake. I swear."
"That you are mine?"
"Yes, yes," she whispered; and she swooned away, while Laure removed hisfoot from the tube.