He broke off story "I've lifted it," , "as near ! Forty thousand pounds' worth of pure gold ! Gold ! I shouted inside my helmet as kind of cheer, and hurt my ears getting confounded stuffy and tired -- been down twenty-five minutes or more--and good enough I went up the companion again, and as my eyes came up flush deck, thundering great crab gave kind of hysterical jump and went scuttling off sideways Quite start it I stood up clear on deck and shut the valve behind the helmet to let the air accumulate to carry me up again--I noticed kind of whacking from above, they were hitting the water with an oar, but I didn't look up I fancied they were signalling me up

"And then something shot down by me--something heavy, and stood a-quiver planks I looked, and long knife I'd seen young Sanders handling Thinks I, he's dropped it, and still calling him this kind of fool --- hurt me serious--when I began to lift and drive up towards the daylight Just level top spars Ocean Pioneer_, whack ! against something sinking down, and boot knocked in front helmet Then something else, struggling frightful big weight atop of me, whatever , and moving and twisting about I'd have thought it big octopus, or some such thing, hadn't been boot But octopuses don't wear boots all in moment,

" myself sinking down again, and I threw my arms about steady, whole lot rolled free of me and shot down as I went up--"

He paused

" young Sanders's face, over naked black shoulder, and spear driven clean through his neck, and out mouth and neck what looked like spirts of pink smoke water And down they went clutching one another, and turning over, and both too far gone to leave go And in another second my helmet came whack, fit to split, against the niggers' canoe niggers ! Two canoes full

" lively times I tell you ? Overboard came Always with three spears in him the legs of three or four black chaps kicking about me water I couldn't see much, but the game was up at glance, gave my valve tremendous twist, and went bubbling down again after poor Always, in as awful state of scare and astonishment well imagine I passed young Sanders nigger going up again and struggling still bit, and in another moment standing dim again deck Ocean Pioneer

"Gummy, thinks I, here's fix ! Niggers ? At first I couldn't see anything but Stifle below or Stabs above I didn't properly understand air to last me out, but I didn't feel like standing more of it down below hot and frightfully heady, quite apart blue funk in We'd never reckoned beastly natives, filthy Papuan beasts It wasn't any good coming up where , but I had something spur moment, I clambered over the side brig and landed weeds, and set off darkness as fast as I just stopped once and knelt, and twisted back my head helmet and had look up most extraordinary bright green-blue above, two canoes boat floating there and distant like kind of twisted H And it made me feel sick to squint up at it, and think what the pitching and swaying three meant

" just most horrible ten minutes I ever had, blundering about darkness--pressure something awful, like being buried in sand, pain across the chest, sick with funk, and breathing nothing as it seemed but the smell of rum and mackintosh Gummy ! After bit, myself going up steepish sort of slope I had another squint if anything was visible canoes and boats, and then kept on I stopped with my head foot surface, and tried where going, but, , nothing was seen but the reflection bottom Then out I dashed, like knocking my head through mirror Directly I got my eyes water, I'd come up kind of beach near the forest I had look round, but the natives brig were both hidden by big hummucky heap of twisted lava The born fool in me suggested run woods I didn't helmet off, but I eased open windows, and, after bit of pant, went on water You'd hardly imagine how clean and light the air tasted

" , with four inches of lead in your boot soles, and your head in copper knob the size of football, and been thirty-five minutes under water, you don't break any records running I ran like ploughboy going to work And half-way trees dozen niggers or more, coming out in gaping, astonished sort of way to meet me

"I just stopped dead, and cursed myself for all the fools out of London I had about chance of cutting back water as turned turtle I just screwed up my window again to leave my hands free, and waited There wasn't anything else

"But they didn't come on I began to suspect why 'Jimmy Goggles,' I says, 'it's your beauty does it ' inclined little lightheaded, , with all these dangers about change pressure blessed air 'Who're ye staring at ? ' , as savages could hear me 'What d'ye take me for ? I'm hanged if I don't something to stare at,' , and I screwed up the escape valve and turned compressed air belt, until swelled out like blown frog Regular imposing it must I'm blessed 'd come on step; and presently one and then another went down on their hands and knees They didn't know what of me, was doing the extra polite, very wise and reasonable I had half mind to edge back seaward and cut and run, but it seemed too hopeless step back 'd after me And out of sheer desperation I began to march towards them up the beach, with slow, heavy steps, and waving my blown-out arms about, in dignified manner And inside of me singing as small as tomtit

"But there's nothing like striking appearance to help man over difficulty,--I've found that before and since People like ourselves, who're diving dresses we're seven, can scarcely imagine the effect of one on simple-minded savage niggers cut and run, the others started in great hurry trying to knock their brains out ground And on I went as slow and solemn and silly-looking and artful as jobbing plumber evident they took me for something immense

"Then up jumped one and began pointing, making extraordinary gestures as so, and all the others began sharing their attention between me and something out at; sea 'What's the matter now ? ' I turned slowly on account dignity, and there , coming round point, the poor old Pride of Banya towed by couple of canoes The sight fairly made me sick But they evidently expected some recognition, so I waved my arms in striking sort of non-committal manner And then I turned and stalked on towards the trees again praying like mad, I remember, over and over again: 'Lord help me through with it ! Lord help me through with it ! ' It's only fools nothing of danger can afford to laugh at praying "

"But these niggers weren't going to let me walk through and away like that They started kind of bowing dance about me, and sort of pressed me pathway that lay trees clear they didn't take me for British citizen, whatever else they thought of me, and own part never less anxious to own old country