The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

THE DIVING BUSINESS. In a litile street that runs from Broadway, not far from Wall street, there was a. low doorway with dingy panes of glass, over which wasasign which bore the following letters, somewhat faded : The Turning of the Long, Long Lane. BROOKET 8: 00,, cos’rascroas. About a month after his arrival ai New York Brandon entered this place and walked up to the desk, where a stun», thick sea man was sihting, with his chin on his hands and his his elbows on the desk before hlm. “ Mr. Brooke: 2 ” said Brandon, inquiringly. “ Yes. sir,"anewered the other, descending from his stool and stopping forward toward Brandon, behind a low inble which stood by the desk “ I am told that you undertake contracts for raising sunken vessels? " “ We are in that line of business." " You have to make use of diving appar- atus 7 ” “Yes.” “Iunderetsnd you have gone into this business to a larger extent than any one in America. 7” “VYersfl. sit,” said Bracket. modestly. “ I think we do the leading business in that line." “ I will tell you frankly my object in callmg upon you.~ 1 havejust come from the East Indies for the purpose of organizing a sys- tematlc plan {or the pearl fish- eries. You are aware that out there they still cling to the fashion of (living. which was begun three thousand years ago. I wish to see if 1 cannot bring scienon to bear upon it, so as to raise the pearl oyslers in larger quantities ” “ That's s good idea of yours," remarked Mr. Bracket. thoughtfully. “ I came to see if you could inform me whether it would be practicable or not.” ” Perfectly so,” said Bracket. “ Do you work with the diving-bell in your business or with armor ?" “ With bowl}: H We use the diving~bell for stationary purposes ; but when it is necessary to move about we eugployprmqr.” “ Is the armor adapted to give a man any freedom of movement 1'" “ The armor is far better than the bell The armor is so perfect now that a practical hand 'cau move about under water with a free- deal that is surprising. My men go down to examine sunken sh ps. They go in and out and all through them. Sometimes this is {he most profitable part of our business.” “ Why so 1’" “ Why, because there is often money or valuable articles on board, and these always are ours. See," said Brocket, opening a drawer and taking out some silver coin. “ here is some money that we found in an old Dutch vessel that was sunk up the Hudson at hun- dred years ago. Our men walked about the bed of the river till they found her, and in her cabin they obtained a sum of money that would surprise you â€"all old coin." “ Not often But we are always on the look out for them,” said Bracket, who had now grown quite communicative. “ You see. those old amps always carried ready cash they didn't use bank notes and bills of ex- change. So if you can only find one you‘re sure of money." W 375615 But-8h vessel ! Do you often find vessels that have been sunk so long ago ?" _ “ But the worst one of all was a corpse that was on the saloon table. The watch had leaped there in his first med impulse, and his hsnds had clutched a. brass bet that ran across. He was facing the door ; his hands were still clinging, his eyes hsd glared «at me, hiejsw had fallen. The hideous face seemed grimscing at and threatening me. As I entered the water was disturbed by my motion. An undulation set in movement by my entrance passed through the length of the saloon. All the corpses swayed for a. moment. I stopped in horror. Scercely bed I stopped when the corpses, agitated by the motion of the water and swaying. lost their hold; their fingers slipped, and they fell forward simul- taneously. Above all. that hideous figure on the table, as its fingers were loosened, in falling forward, seemed to take steps, with his demon face still staring at me. My blood rim cold. It seemed to me es though these devils were all rushinq at me, led on by that fiend on the table. For the first time in my life, sir, I felt tear under the see. I started back. and rushed out qusking as though all hell was behind me. When I got up to the surface I could not speak. I instantly left the Sslsdin, came home with my men, and 1me never been down myself since.” “ Then this would he a good thing to bear in mind in our pearl enterprises ?" " Of course I thould think that out there some reefs must be full of sunken ships. Tney’ve been sinking about those coasts ever since the first ship was built." “ How far down can a diver go in armor 7” “ 011, any reasonable depth, when the pres. sure 01 the water is not too great. Some pain in the ears is felt at h st from the compressed air. but that is tern rsry. Men can rasilv go down as far as fifteen or sixteen isthoms.” “ uuw long can they stay down ?" “ In the bells, you know. they go down and are pulled up only in the middle of the day and in the evening, when their work is done.” " How with the men in armor ?” “ Oh, they can stand it almost as well. They come up oftener, though. There is one advantage in the armor ; a man can fling ofi his weight and come up whenever he likes." “ Have you ever been down yourself 1” “ Oh yes â€"oftener than any of my men. I’m the oldest diver in she country‘ I think. But I don’t go down often now. It‘s hard work. and I’m gezting old.” “ Is it much harder than other work ?" “ Well, you see. it’s unnatural sort of work, and is hard on the lungs. Still. I always was healthy. The real reason why I s‘opped was a circumstance that happened two years “ 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 might be considerable money on board one way or another. It was a very singular afiair. 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 minutes. before the passengers could even be awakened. It may seem horrid to you, but you must know that a ship-load of passengers 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 ship 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 to the saloon. Sir." said Broeket, with an awful look at BrandonI “ if I should live for a bun dred years I should never forget the sight I law. A hundred passengers or more had been on board, and most of them had rushed out of their state-rooms as the vesssl began to sink. Very many of them lay on the floor, a frightful multitude of dead. “ What was that ?" Bracket drew a. long breath, looked for a moment meditativer at ‘he floor, and then went on : ” But there were others.” continued Broeket. in a lower tone, " who had clutched In pieces of furniture, at the doors, and at the chairs. and many of these had held on with such a rigid clutch that death itself had not unlocked it. Some were still upright, with dietorted fea- tures, and staring eyes. clinging. with frantic hoes. to the nearest object that they had seen. Several of them stood around the table. The most frightful thing was this ; that they were all staring at the door. PITCHERY-BIDGERY. BY MONSIEUR DEMOULIN. CHAPTER XXI. A long conversation followed about thel general condition of sunken ships. Bracket; had no fear of rivals in business, and as his interlocutor did not pretend to be one he was exceedingly communicative. He describâ€" ed to him the exact depth to which a diver in_armor might safely go. the longest time he could safely remain under water, the rate of travel in walking along a smooth bottom, and the distance which one could walk. He told him how to go on board of a wrecked ship with the least risk or difficulty, and the best mode by which to secure any valuables which he might find. At last he became so exceedingly friendly that Brandon asked him it he would be willing to give personal inâ€" structions to himself, hinting that money was no object, and that any price would be paid. _ ‘ .h . . . ‘ 1 .. 11,, a“- _A_ At this Bracket laughed. “ My dear sir. you take my fancy, for I think I see in you it man of the right sort. I should be very‘ glad to show any one like you how to go to Work. Don't mention money; I have 9.0- tnally got more now than I know what to do with, and i'm thinking of founding an my lum for the poor. I’ll sell you any number of suite of armor, it you want them, merely in the way of business; but if I give you anetructions it will be merely because I like to oblige a man like you.” likfiidon of coufse expressed all the grati tude that so generous an offgr could excite. ” But there's no use trying yet; wait till the month of May, and then you can begin. You have nerve, and I have no doubt that you’ll learn fast." “ ‘ n 1 After this interview Brandon had many others. To give credibility to his pretended plan for the pearl fisheries, he bought a. dozen suits of diving armor and various ar- ticles which Bracket assured him that he would need. He also brought Cato with him one day, and the Hindu described the plan which the pearl divers pursued on the Male bar 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. 0n plunging into the water. the weight carried him down. When the diver reached the bottom“ the oiled sponge was used from time to time to enable him to breathe by inhaling the air through the sponge apnlied to the mouth. All this was now to Bracket. It excited hie ardor. The month of May at last came. «Brooke: 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 pumps which supplied him with air, and Cato managed the boat The two Brandone learned their parts rapidly. and Louis, who had the hardest teak, improved so quick- ly, and caught the idea. of the work so readily, that Bracket enthusiastically assured him that he was a natural-born diver. All this time Brandon was quietly making arrangements for a. voyage. He gradually ob- mined every thing .wah might by any possi- bility be required. and which he found out by long deliberations with Frank and by hints which he gained by Well managed questions to Bracket. THE ISLET OF SANTA CRUZ. It was July when Brandon left New York for San Salvador. ' Thus the months of May and June passed until at length they were ready to start, He had purchased a beamilul little schooner. whieh he had fitted up like a gen- tleman’s yacht, and stored with all the arti- cles: whwh might be needed. In cruising about the Bahama Isles he intended to let it be supposed that he was traveling for plea- sure. True, the month of July was not the time of the year which pleasure seekers would ohoose for sailing in the West Indes, bus of thus he did not. take much thought. The way to the Bahama Hales was easy. ,They stopped for a while at Nassau, and then went to San Salvador. The first. part of the New Worll which 00- lumbus discovered is now but eldom visited. and few inhabitants are found there. Only six hundred people dwelt upon it, and these have in general but little intelligence. 01: reaching this place Brandon sailed to the harbor which Columbus entered, and made many inquiries about bhst immorml landing Tradnious still survived among the people. and all were glad to show the rich English- men t-he lions of the place. Guahi is only a small island, and there are but few inhabitants upon it. who support themselves partly by fishing. In this de- lightful climate their wants are not numerous, and the rich soil produces almost anything which they desire. The fish about here are That evening they cast anchor and went ashore at the island of Guahi to see if any one knew of other islands among which might be found one named Santa Cruz. Their disappointment was profound. Bran don for a while thought that perhaps some other San Salvador was meant in the letter. This very idea occurred to him before, and he had made himself acquainted with all the places of that name that existed. None of them seemed, however, to answer the require ments of the writing. Some must have gained the name since ; others were so situ- ated that no irland could be mentioned as lying to the north. On the Whole, it seemed to him that this San Salvador of Columbus could alone be meutioned. It was alluded to as a well known place, of which particular description was unnecessary, and no other place at that day had this character except the one on which he had decided. One hope yet remained, a. faint one. but still a hope, and this might yet be realized. It was that Guahi was not Santa. Cruz ; but that some oxher island lay about here. which might be consideied as north from San Sal vador. This could be ascertained here in Guahi better perhaps than anywhere else. Wimh this faint hope he landed. He was thus enabled to make inquiries without exciting suspicion about the islands lying to the north. He‘ was informed that about four leagues north there was an island named Guahi, and as there was no island in that direction named Santa Cruz, Brandon thought that this might be the one, He asked if there were any small islets or sand banks near there, but no one could tell him. Having gained all the information that he could he pursued his way. In that hot season there was but little wind. The seats were visited by profound calms which continued long and rendered navigation slow and tedious. Sometimes. to prevent themselves lrom being swept away by the currents, they had to cast anchor. At other times they were forced to keep in close by the shore. They waited till the night came on, and then putting out the sweeps, they rowed the yacht slowly along. It was the middle of July before they reached the island of Guahi, which Brandon thought might be Santa Cruz. If so, then one league due north of this there ought to be the inlet of the Three Needles. Upon the discovery of that depended their fate. The morning passed and the hot sun burned down upon them, yet they still toiled on, seeking to pass beyond a. point which lay ahead, so as to see the open water to the north. Gradually they neared it, and the sea-view in front opened up more and more widely. There was nothing but water. More and more of the View exposed itself. untii at last the whole horison was visible. Yet there was no land thereâ€"no island-no sign of those three rocks which they longed so much to find. A light wind arose which enabled them to sail over all the space that lay one league to ,the north. They sounded as they went, but found only deep water. They looked all around, but found not so much as the small- est point of land above the surface of the ocean. It was evening when they reached the southern shots of Guuhi. Now was the time when all the future depended on the fact of the existence of the islet to the north. That night on the south shore was passed in deep anxiety. They rowed the vessel on with their sweeps. but the island was to large too be passed in one night. Morning came, and still thoy rowed. CHAPTER XXII. not plentiful, and what they catch have to be sought for at a long @istaqcp of}. .u - nn ..~_°._. ..-_ _. “ Are there any olher islands near this ‘3” asked Brandon of some peop‘e whom he met on landing. “ Not very near.” “ Which is the nearest ?” “ San Salvador." “ Are there any others in about this lati- tude 7” “Well, there is a small one about twelve leagues east. There are no people on il;1 though." “ What is its name ?" “ Santa Cruz 1’" Brandon's heart beat feet at the sound of that name. I: mue‘ be so. Ir mun be the island which he sought. It lay to the north of San Salvador, and its name was Santa Cruz. “ It is not down on the charts f” “ No. It is only a small islet." Another confirmation. for the message said plainly an islet. whereas Guahi was an island. “ How large is it.” " Oh, perhaps a mile or a mile and a hall long.” “ Is there any other island near it ?" “ I don‘t know.” “ Have you ever been there ?” “ No.” Plainly no further information could be gathered here. It was enough to have hope strengthened and an additional chance for success. Brandon obtained as near as possi- ble the exact direction of Santa Cruz. and. going back to the yacht, took advantage of the light breeze which still was blowing and set sail. . v an: nun. Night came on very dark, but the hfeeze still continued to send its light breath, and before this the vessel gemly glided on. Not a thing could be seen in that. intense dark nees. Toward morning Louis Brandon, who had remained up all night in his deep anxie- ty, tried to pierce through the gloom as he strained his eyes. and seemed as though he would force the darkness to reveal that which he sought. Bu: the darkness gave no token. Not Columbus himself, when looking out over these waters. gazed with greater eager- ness. nor did his heart beat with greater an xiely of suspense, than that which Brandon felt as his velsel glided slowly through the dark waters, the same over which Columbus had passed. and moved amidst the impenetra- ble gloom. But the long night of suspense glided by at last; the darkness faded, and the dawn ceme. Frank Brandon, on waking about sunrise. came up and saw his brother looking with fixed intensity of game at something direocly in front. He turned to see what it might. be. An island covered with palm trees lay there. Its extent was small, but it was filled with the rich verdure of the tropics. The gentle breeze ruffled the waters, but did not alto- gether eflace the reflection 01 that beautiful islet. - Louis pointed toward the northeast. Frank looked. It seemed to be about two miles away. It was a low sand island about a quarter of a mile long. From its surface projected three rocks thin and sharp. They were at unequal distances from each other, and in the middle of the islet. The tallest one might haye been about twelve feet in height, the others eight and ten respectively. Louis 5112! Frank. exchanged oneloug look. but said not a word. That look was an elcgupxfi one. 'fhis than was unmistakably the place of their say-ch. _ _ The isle; with the three rocks like needles lying norm of Santa. Gm; One league due north of thus was the spot whet; now tested all their bopfm, N a ‘1‘ The isladd of Santa Cm; was, as bed been told them. not more than a. mile and a halt in length. the send island with the needles lay about two miles north of it. On the side of Santa Cruz which lay nearest to them was a smell cove just large enough for the yacht. Here, after some delay, they were able to enter and land. Here they sounded. The wa‘er was fit- teen fathoms deepâ€"not so great a depth as they had feared. Then they put down the anchor, {01- although there was no wind. yet the yacht might be caught in some current, The tall trees that covered the island rose over beautiful glades and grassy slopes. Too small and too remote to give support to any number of inhabi ants, it had never been touched by the hand of man, but stood there before them in all that pris- tine beauty with which nature had first on- dowed it. It reminded Brandon in some degree of that African island where he had passed some time with Beatrice. The recol- lection 0! this brought over him an intollerâ€" able melancholy. and made the very beauty of this island painful to him. Yet hope was now strong within his heart, and as he tra' versed its extent his eye wandered about in search of places where he might be able to conceal the treasure that lay under the sea, if he were ever able to recover it from its present place. The island afforded many spots which were well adapted to such a pur pose. Before they had come to the spot which they wished to attein,the breeze had died out and they were compelled to take to the oars. Although early in the morning the sun was burning hot. the work was laborious, and the progress was slow. Yet not a murmur was heard, nor did a single thought of fatigue enter the minds of any of them. One idea only was present-one so overwhelming that all lesser thoughts and all or- dinary feeling was completely obliterated. After two hours of steady labor they at last reached a place which seemed to them to be exactly one league due north of Needle islet Looking back they saw that the rocks on the island seemed from this distance closer together, and thinner and sharper. so that they actually bore a greater resemblance to needles from this point than to anything else. In the center of the island a rock juttednp, which was bald and flat on its summit. 0n the western side it showed a precipice of some forty or fifty feet in height. and on the east- ern side it descended to the water in a. steep slope. The tall trees which grew all around shrouded is from the view of those at sea, huh allowed the sea to be visible on every side. Climbing to this place. they saw something which showed them that zhev could not hope to carry on any operation for that day. On the other side of the island. about ten miles from the shore, there lay a. large brig becalmed. It looked like one of those vessel- that are in the trade between the United States and the West Indies. long as that vessel was in the neighborhoo it would not do even to make a beginning, nor did Bran- don care about letting his yacht be seen. Whatever he did he wished to do secretly. The brig continued in sight all day, and they remained on the island. Toward evening they took the small boat and rowed out to the sand bank which they called Needle Islet. It was merely a low spit of sand, with these three singularly-shaped rocks projecting upward. There was nothing else whatever to be seen upon it. The moon came up as they stood there, and their eyes wondered involun- tarily to the north, to that place, a league away. where the treasure lay beneath the waters. Now at last the time of trial had come. They were eager to make the altempt, and soon the yacht was unmoored, and moved slowly out to sea in the direction of Needle Islet. Alight breeze still blew fitlully. but promised m any moment to stop ; yes while it lasted they passed onward under its gentle impulse, and so gradually reached Needle Island. and went on into the sea beyond. was ocmu manna. The next morning dawned and Brandon hurried to the rock and looked around. Dur~ ing the night. a. siight wind had sprung up, and was still gentin breathing. Far over the wide sea there was not a. sail to be seen. The brig had pasaed away. They were finally left to themselves. CHAPTER XXIII. and drist gradually away from the right posi- tion. -‘ The small boat had all this time been floating astern With the pumping apparatus in it, so that the adventurous diver might readily be accompanied in his search and his wanderings at the bottom of the sea. But there was the prospect that this search would be long and arduous, and Brandon was not willing to exhaust himself too soon. He had already resolved that the first explora- tion should be made by Asgeelo. The Hindu had followed Brandon in all his wanderings with that silent submission and perfect devo- tion which is more common among Hindus than any other people. He'had the air of one who was satisfied with obeying his master, and did not ask the end of any commands which might be given. He was aware that they were about to explore the ocean depths, but showed no curiosity about the object of their search. It was Brandon’s purpose to send him down first at different points. so that he might see if there was anything there which looked like what they sought. Asgeeloâ€"or Cato, as Brandon commonly called him-'had made those simple prepares tions which are common among his classâ€"- the apparatus which the pearl divers have used ever since pearl diving first oommeneed. Twelve or fifteen stones were in the boat, a flask of oil. and a sponge which was fastened around his neck. These were all that he required. Each stone weighed about filty pounds. One of these he tied around one foot; he saturated the sponge with oil. so as to use it to inhale air beneath the water; and then. standing on the edge of the boat and flinging his arms straight up over his head. he leaped into the water and went down feet foremost. Over the smooth water the ripples flowed from the spot where Aageelo had disappeared extending in successive concentric circles, and radiating in long undulations far and wide. Louis and Frank waited in deep sus- pense. Asgeelo remained long beneath the water, but to them the time seemed frightful in its duration. Profound anxiety began to mingle with the suspense. for fear lest the faithful servant in his devotion had overrated his powers â€"lest the disuse of his early reo- tioe had weakened his skill Iâ€"les’t the gight bound to his foot had dragged him down and kept him there forever. At last. when the suspense had heconge in- tolerable and the two had already begun to exchange glancefielmost of despair, a splash was heard. and Aegeelo emerged far to the right. He struck out strongly toward the boat, which was at once rowed toward him. In a few minutes he was taken in. He did not appear to be much exhausted. He had seen nothing. They then rowad about a hundred yards further. and Asgeelo prepared to descend once more. He squezed the oil out of the sponge and renewed it again. But this time he took a knife in his hand. 7“ What is that for ? ” asked Frank and Lenin. At this Louis and Frank exchanged glances. Could they let this devoted servant thus tempt so terrible a death 2’ '- Did you see any sharks 7” asked Louis. “ No, Sahib.” " Why do you fear them, then f ” ‘- I don't fear them, Sahib.” “ Why do you take this knife 2 " “ Que they come, S‘ahi ," After some hesitation 3586810 was allowed to go. As before he plunged into the water, and remained underneath quite as long ; but now they had become familiarizad with his powers and the suspense was not so dreadful. Al. the expiration of the usual time he reappeared, and on being taken into the hoat’he again announced that he had seen nothing. W‘Tsharks! ” answered Cato, in a terrible tone. Asgeelo'a 160k Wm a5 gloomy as death as he replied. They pow towed a hundred yards further on in the same direc’pion toward the east, and Asgeelo made aqothe; qeegenfi. Hg came back with the same reams, It now began to grow" discouraging. but Asgeelo was not yet fatigued. and they there- fore determined to la» him work as long as he was able. He went down seven times more. They still kept the host on toward the east till the line of needles on the sand island had become thrown farther apart and stood at long distances. Asgeelo came up each time unsuccessful. He at last went down for the eleventh time. They were talking as usual, not ex peeling that he! would reappear for some minutes. when suddenly a about was heard, and Asgeelo‘s he (1 emerged from the water not. more than t enty yards from the boat. He was swimming with one hand, and in the other he held an uplifted knife. which he oc- casionally brandished in the air and splashed in the water. _'.l‘hey could not help asking him why he had not at ones made his escape to the boat, instead piratAaying to fighg the {nonfatal} y The strength which this man had shown was tremendous, yet his quickness and agility even in the water had been commensurate with his strength. Brandon had seen proofs of his courage in the dead bodies of the Malay pirates which lay around him in the cabin of that ill fated Chinese ship ; but all that he hind done then was not to be compared to t is. Immediately the cause 9f this became mani‘ feat. Just behind him a sharp black fin ap- pegred cuttipg {b9 gurfiage of the water. It was a. shark! But. the monster. g oowgrd like all his m'be. deterred by the plnshing~ of the water made by Asgeelo, circled round him am! hesitated to seiZe his prey. The moment was flightlul. Yet Aegealo appeared not in the best alarmed. He swam slowly, occasionally turning his head and watching the monster, seeming by his easy dexterity to be almost as much in his native e'ement as his pursuer, keeping his eyes fixed on him and holding his knife in a firm clasp. The knife was it long keen blade, which Asgeelo had carried with him for years. Louis and Frank could do nothing. A pistol bell could not reach this monster. who kept himself under the water. where a bull would be spent before striking him, if indeed any aim eould direct a bullet toward that swift darting figure. They had nothing to do but to look on in en agony of horror, 7 "E8 sat down, a. hideous figure. Blood cov- ered his tawny (we, and the fury of his rage had not left his features. A few moments afterward the form of a gigantic shark floated upward to the surface. dyeing the sea with the blood which had is- sued from the stroke dealt by Asgeolo. Not yet, however. was the vindictive fury of the Hindu sstluted. He swam up to it. He dashed his knife over and over the white belly till it became a hideous mass of gaping entrails. iThen he game into the boat. Asgselo, compelled to watch, to guard. to splash the water, and to turn frequently, made but a slow passage overr.» those twenty yards that separated him from the beat. At last it seemed as if he chose to stay there. It seemed to those who watched him with such awful horror that he might have escaped had he chosen, but that he had some idea of voluntarily encountering the monster. This became evident at last,as the shark passed before him when they saw Asgeelo’s face turned toward it; a face full of fierce hate and vengeance; a face such as one turns toward some mortal enemy. It. was Asgeelo's head that emerged in a sea of blood and foam. Triumph was in his dark face. as wiih one hand he waved his knits exultantly. “ What now ?" was the thought of the brothers. Had he been dragged down? 1111 possible! And yet it seemed equally impos- sible Shut he could have gone down of his own aooor . In a moment their suspense was ended. A white flash appeared near the surface. The next instant 3 dark einewy arm emerged from beneath, armed with a long, keen knife. which seemed ti) tear down with one tremen- dous stroke that white, shining surface. He made a quick, fierce stroke with his long knife. The shark gave a leap upward. The water was tinged with blood. The next moment Asgeelo went down. “ They tore in pieces my son, Sahib â€"my only sonâ€"when he first. went down, and l have to Mange him. I killed a. hundred on the‘ Malabar coast before I left it forever. 1thal: shark did not attack me; I attacked im." " If you saw one now would {you attack him ? ” “ Yes. Sahib." Brandon ~oxm-eeoed some apprehension, and wished him no: to lose his life But Asgeelo explained that a shark could be successfully encountered by a skillful swimmer. The shark is long, and has to move about in a circle which is comparative lylsrge; he is also a coward. and a. good swimmer can strike him if he only chooses. He again repeated triumphantly that. he had killed more than a hundred to avenge his son. In his last venture Asgeelo had been no more successful than before. Needle Island was now in the southwest. and Brandon thought that their only chance was to try farther over toward the west. where they had nogyet explorgd. They rowed at once back to the point from which they had set out, and then went on about a hundred and fifty yards to the west. From this place as they looked toward the islet. the three rocks seemed so close to- gether that they appeared blended, and the three sharp, needlellike points appeared to issue from one common base. This cir- cumstance had an encouraging effect. for it seemed to the brothers as though their an- cestor might have looked upon these rocks from this point of View rather than from any other which had yet come upon the field of their observation. » This time Brendon himself resolved to go down ;partlykeonnae he thought. that Asgeelo had worked lc‘mg enough. and ought nor. to be exhausted on that first day, and partly on no- oount of an intolerable impatience. and an eagerness to see for himeelf rather than in- trust it to others. There was the horror of the shark, which might have deterred any other man. It was a. danger which he had never taken into ac count. But the resolve of his soul was stronger than any fear. and be determined to face even this danger. If he lost his life. he was indifferent. Let it go ! Life was not so precious to him as to some other. Fearless by natureJie was ordinarily ready to run risks; but now the thing that drew him onward w'as so vest in its importance that he was willing to encounter peril of any kind. Frank was aware of the full extent of his new danger, but he said nothing, nor did he anempt in any way‘io dissuade his hroiher. He himself, had he been able, Would,have none in his place ; but he was not able. he did not suppose that his brother would hesi tate. The apparatus was in the boat. The pumpâ€" ing~maohine was in the stem ; and this wixh the various signal ropes, was managed by Frank. Aageelo rowed. These arrange- mema had long since been made, and the; had practiced in this way on the Hudson rxver. Silently Brandon put on his diving armor. The ropes and tubes were all carefully an ranged. The usual weight was attached to his belt, and he was slowly lowered down to the bottom of the sea. The bottom of the ocean was composed of s smooth, even surfaga of fine sand and gravel, along which Brandon moved without difficulty. The oumbrous armor ofthe diver. which on land was so heavy. beneath the water loses its excessive weight, and by steadying the wearer assists him to walk. The water was marvelously transparent. as is usually the case in the southern seas, and through the glass plate in his helmet Bram dqn could look forward to a greater distance than was possihlle in the Hudson. Overhead he could qee the hqttam of the heat. as it flowed and moved on in the direc- tion he wished ; signals, which were commu~ picated by a rope which he held in his hand. told them whether to go forward or backward‘ $0 the right or t9 the left. gr to atop alto- gether. Practice had enabled him to com» mand, and they to obey. with ease. Down in the depths to which he had den scended the water was always still. and the storms that aflected the suriece never pene- trated there. Brandon learned this from the delicate shells and the still more delicate forms of marine plants which lay at his feet, so fragile in their structure, and so del~ icately poised in their position, that they must have formed themselves in deep. dead stillness and absolute motionless of waters The very movement which was caused by his passage displaced them in all directions, and cast them down everywhere in ruins. Here, in such depths as these. if the sounding lead is cast it brings up these fragile shells, and shows to the observer what profound oelm must exist here. far away beneath the ordi- nary vision of man. ‘ Practice had enabled Brandon to move with much ease. His breathing was without dim- culty. The first troubles arising from breath- thie confined air had long emoe been sur. mounted. One tube run down from the boat, through which the fresh air was pushed, and another tube run up a little distance, through which the air paused and left it in myriad bubbles that ascended to the surface. Brannon walked on, and even in the in tense desire of his soul to find what he sought he felt himself overcome by the sublime influence of this submarine world. He seemed to have intruded into some other sphere. planting his rush foot:- steps where no foot 0! man had trodden be~ fore, and using the resources of science to violate the hallowed secrecy of awful nature in her most hidden retreats. Here. above all things, his soul was oppressed by the univer- sal silence around. Through that thick helâ€" met. indeed. no sound under a clap of thunder could be heard, and the ringing of his ears would of itself have prevented consciousness of any other noise, yet none the less was he aware of the awful stillness; it was silence that could be felt. In the sublimity of that He walked on, and soon came to a place where things changed their appearance. Hard sand was here, and on every side their arose curiously~shaped coral structures, which re- sembled more than anything else a leafless forest. These coral tree-like forms twisted their branches in strange involutions. and in some places formed a Verieot barrier of in- terlaced arms, so that e was forced to make a detour in order to avoid them. The chief fear here was that his tube might get entan tangled among some of the loftier stragging branches, and impede or retard his progress. To avoid this caused much delay. Now. among the coral rocks, the vegetation of the Iowa: sea began to appear of more vivid colors and of far greater variety than any which he had ever seen. Here were long plants _whicn clung to the coral like ivy, seeming to be a species of marine parasite, and as it grew it throve more luxuriantly. Here were some ,which threw out long arms, terminating in vast, broad, pa1m~1ike leaves. the arms inter- wined ang the coral branches and the leaves hanging downward. Here were long streamers of fine, silk-like strings, that were suspended from many a projecting branch. and hillocks of spongy substance that looked like moss. Here, too. were plants which threw forth long, ribbon like leaves of vane- gated color. At its termination there arose a long vista, where the ground ascended and an opening appeared through the marine “ forest.” 0:) each side the involuted corals flung their twisted arms in more curious and intricate folds. The vegetation was denser, more lux- uriant. and more varied. Beneath him was a growth of tender substance, hairy in texture. and of a delicate green color, which looked more like lawn grass of the upper world than anything else in nature. At last his progress in that direction was terminated by a rock which came from a Southerly direction, like a spur from the is. lauds. It arose to a height of about thirty feet overhead, and descended gradually as n ran north. Brandon turned aside, and walk- ed by its base along its entire extent. v It was a forest under the sea. and it grew denser at gyery step. There came to him only such dwellers as belonged to the place. He saw them as he moved along. He saw them darting out from the hidden penetralia around. moving swiftly across and sometimes darting in shoals before him. They began to appear in such vast numbers that Brandon thought of that mon- ster which lay a mangled heap upsn the sur- face above, and fancied that perhaps his kin dred were here waiting to avenge his death As this fear osme full and well defined before him he drew from his belt. the knife which Asgeelo had given him. and Frank had urged him to take, feeling himself less helpless it he held this in his hand. lonely pathway he felt what Hercules is imag- ined to have felt when passing to the under world after Cerberus. Stupent ubi undue segue torpescit fretum. and expeoted to hear some voice from the dweller in this place : “Que pergis nudax ‘2 Siste nroserentem gradum." The fishes moved about him, coming on in new and more startled crowds, some dashing past. others darting upward, and othere moving swiftly ahead. One large one was there with a. train of follower, which moved up and floated for a. moment directly in front of him, its large, scaring eyes seeming lo view him in wonder. and solemnly working its gills. But 213 Brandon came close it gave a sudden turn and darted off Wlth all its attendants. At lam, amidst all these wonders, he saw far ahead somelhing which drove all other choughts away, whether of fear, or of danger, or of horror. and filled all his soul with an overmnstering passion of desire and hope. It was a dark object,too remote as yet to be distinctly visible, yet as h rose there his fancy seemed to trace the outline of a ship, or what might once have been a ship. The presentation of his hope before him thus in what seemed like a reality was too much He stood Still, and his heart beat with fierce throbs. The hope was so precious ,that for 9. time he hesitated to advance, for fear less the hope might be dispelled forever. And then to fail at this place, nicer so long a seamh. when he seemed x0 have reached the end, would be an intolerable grief. There. too, was that strange pathway which seemed made on purpose. How came it there? He thought that perhaps the object lying before him might have caused some current which set in there and prevented the growth of plants in that place. These and many other thoughts came to him as he stood, unwilling to move. But at last be conquered his feel- ings, and advanced. Hope grew strong within him. He thought of the time on Coffin Island when. in like man- ner, he had hesitated before a like object. Might not this, like that,turn out to be 9. ship? And new. by a strange revulsion, all his feelings urged him on; hope was strong, suspense unendurable. Whatever that object. was. he must knofiw. It might: indeed be a rock. He had passed one shortly before, which had gradually deu clined into the bottom of the sea ; this might be a continuation of the some, which after an interval had arisen again lrom the bottom. I! was long and high at one end. and rounded forward at the other. Such a shape was per- fectly naiuml for 9. rock. He tried to crush down hope, so an to be prepared for disap pointment He tried to convince himse t that it must be a rock, and cmld by no possibility be anything else. Yet his efforts were tomlly fruitless. Still the conviction remained that it was a ship, and if so, it could be no other than the one he sought. As he went on all the merino vegetation ceased. The coral rook continued no further. Now all around the bottom of the see was flat, and covered with fine gravel, like that which he had touched when he first came down. The fishes had departed The sense of solemnin left him; only (we thing was perceptible, and that was the objeol toward which he walked. , And. now he felt within him such an unn controllable impulse that even if he had wish- ed he oouldneither have paused not gone book. To go forward was only possible. It seemed to him as though some external in- fluence had penetrated his body. and forced him to move. Again. as once before, he recalled the last words of his father, so well remembered: â€"-‘ If in that other world to which I am going the disembudied spirit can assist man, then be sure. oh my son, I will assist you. and in the crisis of your fate I will be near. it it is only to communicate to your Spirit what you ought to doâ€"" It was Ralph Brandon who had said this. Herein this objr-ct which lay before him, if it were indeed the Ahip. he xmagined the spirit of another Ralph Brandon present, awaiting him Suddenly a dark shadow passed over hisi head, which forced him involuntarily to looki up, In spite of his excitement at shudderi passed through him. Fer overhead, at the‘ surface of the ses‘ the boat was floating. But half-way up were three dark objects moving slowly and lazily along. They were sherks. To him, in his loneliness and weakness. nothing ever seemed so menacing as these three demons of the deep as he stored up at them. Had they seen him? that was now his thought He olutohed his knife in a firmer hold. feeling all the while how utterly helpless he was, and shrinking away into him self from the terror above. The monsters moved leisurely about, at one time grazing the tube‘ and sending down a vibration which thrilled like an electric shock through him. Fora. moment he thought that they were malignantly tormenting him, and had done this on purpose in order to send down to him a message of his fate. He wanted. The time seemed endless. Yet at lest the end came. The shin-ks could not have seen him. tor they gradually moved away until they were out of sight. Nearet'and nearer. Doubt no longer re- mained. He stood close beside it. It was indeed a ship 1 Its sides rose high over head. Its lofty stem stood up like a. tower. after the fashion of a. ship of the days of Queen Elizabeth. The masts had fallen and lay, encumbered with the rigging, over the side. Brandon walked all around it, birr heart beating fast, seeing at every step some new proof that this must be no oxher. by any conceivable poeeibility, than the one which he sought. 0n reaching the bows he saw the outline of a bird carved for the figure head, and knew that this must be the Phoe- mx. fifHe walked around. The bottom was sandy and the_ship hxd settled down to some depth. Still he tried £90ny to prenare for disap- pointment. and made faint fancies as to the reason why a rock should be formed here in this shape. All the time be accused lhote fancies and felt assured that it was not a rock. Brandon did not dare to advance for some time. Yet now, since the spell of this pre- sence was removed, his honor left him, and his former hope animated all his soul. There lay that object before him. Could he advance again after that warning ? Dered he 2‘ This new realm into which he had ventured had indeed those who were ready and able to inflict a sudden and {rightful ven- geance upon the rash intruder. He had passed safely among the horrors of the coral forest ; but hele. on this plateau. could he hope to be so safe ? Might not the slightest movement on his part create a disturbance of water euffioent to awaken the attention of those departed ememies and bring them back? This was his fear. But hope and a. reso~ lute will, and a determination to risk all on this last; hazard, alike impelled him on. Danger now lay every where, above as well as below. An advance was not more perilous than an asoent to the boat. Taking comfort from this last thought he moved onward with a steady, determined siep. Hope grew stronger as he draw nearer. The dark mass gradually formed izrelf into a more distinct outhne. The uncertain lines defined into more certain shape, and the resemblance to a ship became greater and greater. He could no longer resist the con- viction that this must be a. ship. A: last he could delay no longer. One of the masts lay over the side, and this afforded an easy way by which he could clamber upward upon the deck. Her sides were cowred with fine dark shells, like an incrustation. to the depth of an inch, mingled with the short; growth of a green, slimy sea. weed. -In a few moments Brandon stood upon the deck of the Phoenix. The ship which had thus lain here through centuries, saturated with water that had pene- trated to its inmost fibre, still held together sturdily. Beneath the sea the water itself had noted as a preservative. and retarded or nrevented decay. Brandon looked around as he stead there, and the light that came from above. where the surface of the sea was now much nearer than before, showed him all the extent of the ship. The beams which supported the deck had lost their stiffness and sank downward ; the masts. as before stated, had toppled over for the same reason. ylelding to their own weight, which. as the vessel was slightly on one side, had gradually borne them down; the bow: rit also had fallen. The hatchweys had yiel ed. and. giving way, had sunk down within the hold. The doors which led into the cabin 1n (the lofty peop were lying prostrate on the deck. The large sky light which once had stood there had also followed the same fate. Before going down Brendon had arranged a. signal to send to Frank in case he found the ship. In his excitement he had not yet given it. Before venturing further he thought of this. But he decided not to make the signal. The idea came, and was rejected amidst a world of varying hopes and fears. He thought that if he was successful he himself would be the best mee~ eenger of success; and, if not», he would be the best messenger of owl. He advanced toward the cabifi. Turning away from the door he clambered upon the poop. and, looking down. tried to see what depth there might be beneath. He saw some- thing which looked as though it had once been a table. Slowly and cautiously he let himself down through the opening. and his feet touched bottom. He moved down- ward, and let his feet slide till they touched the floor. He was within the cabin. TO BE CONTINUED. ‘when he took a lamp The Mystery of the Murder of Abram Brisbols in a Fair Way to be Solvedâ€" A Father and Son Arrested on Sus- plcion. Dnrnorr, May 3.â€"On the evening of Sam day, September 15, Abram Brisbois, a farmer, went to the house of Andrew Bodary, whose farm is nearly four miles south of Brisbois’ house, near the township line of Ecorse and l‘aylor, where he was to thrash grain on Mon~ day. He reached there about dark, and after setting up his machine went up to the house,- with Bodary and his oldest son Uolumbu. his men and one of Bodary’s sons sleeping in the barn. Mr. Bodary states that he and the murdered man sat smoking and talking in the front room until between 9 and 10 o’clock: and showed Brisboia up stairs to bed. A few minutes- latcr he went up to his chamber, when his wife, who was still awake, enquired what he was up there after a few minutes before. He told her he had not been :up there, when she declared a few minutes previousa man, whom, in the dim light from a window, she took to be her husband, came to her bedside, stubbing his toe against a piece of board that had been nailed over a stove-pipe hole in the floor, and that the- ‘man, alter examining the beds, went from the room noiselessly. Bodary told her he had not been up there ; that she must have dreamed it, and the subject dropped. Mr. Bodary’s testimony, as glven at the inquest. did not difler from the above. Columbus Bodary testified that he went to bed soon after his father showed Mr. Brisbois to his; chamber, and never saw him alive after- wards. He denied that he ever carried a revolver. On Monday morning Abram Brisbois all not come down to breakfast, and when Bodary went up to the charm her he was cold in death. A ball had. penetrated the right eye, and passed directly through the brain. He lay as if sleeping, having died without a struggle, and the con- dition of the bed indicated that he had never moved after lying down. Blood from the wound had spurtsd up with considerable force, sputtering the bed spread, carpet and walls. These scattered drops were dried and dark, also indicating that the crime was committed soon after he retired. Between the chamber where slept the Bodary family and the chambers in the main house there is no upstairs. Connection from Bodary’s bed to that occupied by Brisbois is about twenty feet, with a close partition between. All the Bodarys testified that they heard no noise that night. They advanced the theory that some enemy of the murdered man had followed him to the house, came in by the rear door while they were sitting in front. hidden until they retired, and then sought the bedside of Brisbois and shot him. They declared that in the morning they found the back door and cvrry inside door in the house open. and that all the bureau drawers and closets had been ransacked. In this theory the prosecuting officers found some serious defects. They could not believe that the murâ€" derer was actuated by any other motive than malice. They did not believe the bureau drawers, closets. etc., were ransacked as alleged by the Bodarys for nothing what- ever, not even money, had been taken. The clothes of the dead man had not been dis~ turbed, a dollar or two of silver in the pockets of the psntaloons being untouched. Every theory advanced, plausible or otherwise was carefully investigated, but all were found to be baseless. In short, no rational theory was advanced that did not point to the Bodary family. The first important discovery, or one that may become so, was arevolver with an empty chamber, the call from which was of the same weight and calibre as the one that passed through Abram Brisbois‘ brain, and which was found hidden beneath the weeds about a quarter of a mile from the house. A revolver of the same de- scription was seen in Columbus Bodary’s possession shortly before the murder. Dar- mg the early portion of last winter Columbus Bodary disappeared, but. however, since re- turned. The elder Bodsry began to talk more freely with his neighbors, and one day at dinner very recently he admitted to his brother-in-Jaw that his son Columbus was the person who committed the murder. As he was away and would never return, he felt free to talk about the matter inaconfi~ dential tone to members of the family. He pondered upon what was his duty under the circumstances, and decided to inform the prosecuting attorney of the confessions of the elder Bodary. This duty he performed on Saturday. Mrs. Brisbois was conveyed to the city yesterday forenoon, and made the necessary complaint against Columbus Bo- dary and his father, Andrew Bodary. charg- ing them with the murder of her husband. Yesterday afternoon officers proceeded to Bodary‘s residence, fourteen miles from the oily, arrested them, and returned with the prisoners about midnight, When they were locked up. They take their arrest veiy phil- osophically, the old man remarking to Turn- key Hall that he knew what he was arrested for, and wasn’t frightened a bit; that the evidence against/him was all circumstantial, and he had no fear of a conviction. They will probably be arraigned to-day. â€"â€"The Chicago Herald contains a long edi- torial on The helLBroth We Have to Drink. Itis probably the Herald man’s own fault. If he would pay up the old score the bartender would set out 9. better brand.â€"Peck’a Sun. -â€"At the gate of the cemetery at Avignon, in France, the parents of a child certified to have died of croup insisted on having the coffin opened to take a last look. The child was found breathing, and was expecmd to be saved. THE ECORSE TRAGEDY. '