that the spot could easily have been
found again.

However there we were. The line was hauled tightly in over the bows of
our boat, the pole thrust down straight to the bottom, but only to keep
rising up until one of the pigs of lead was lashed on to the thick end,
when it consented to stay. The block with its wheel had already been
secured in its place, and the rest of the gear being ready nothing
remained but to make the first descent, and for which Bigley was eager.

"I scarcely like to send you down, Bigley," said my father just at the
last. "I hardly feel justified in doing so."

"Why not, sir?" cried Bigley. "It's only like diving for fun."

"But if anything happened?"

"Why, nothing can happen, sir. It's as easy as can be."

"One moment," said my father; "let's see how the tackle works."

He gave the word, the men slackened the rope, and the bag with the pig
of lead in it went down with a splash and sank rapidly to the bottom,
where it was allowed to stay for a few minutes and then hauled up.

"There, sir, that goes right enough, only when it went down it would
have taken me with it, and when it came up it would have brought the
first chest of silver."

"If you have not been mistaken," said my father drily. "Well, sir, we
shall see," said Bigley colouring; and standing up in the boat he made a
spring and dived off, curving down and rising again like a seal before
swimming back to the side with a mastery over the water that I never
could approach, though there was a time when I could swim and dive
pretty well.

"Now, then," cried Bigley, taking hold of the bag without waiting for
farther orders, "let the rope run quite clear, and don't haul till I
come up and tell you."

"Do you feel sure that you can do it, my lad?" cried my father eagerly.
"Oh yes, sir!"

"Then, mind, if there is any difficulty you will give up at once."

"I will not do it, Captain Duncan, if I cannot," said Bigley laughing.
"Now, then, off!"

The bag, which with the lead inside had been resting on the gunwale, was
lowered into the water; Bigley seized it, and in an instant over he
turned to go down head-first, with the line running rapidly through the
block, and then all at once growing slack.

My father and the foreman held the end, but like the rest they leaned
over the side of the boat to watch the movements of the white figure
they could indistinctly see far below, for the water was of course
disturbed, and our move