led the same," said one of the latter's
attendants.

Baldwin looked anxiously at the lines, and went quickly to the
speaking-tube, to which he applied his ear. A look of surprise mingled
with the anxiety as he put his lips to the tube.

It was at this moment that he sent down the message before referred to,
and received Edgar's prompt reply.

"All right," said Baldwin, turning gravely to his men, while a little
gleam of intelligence and humour twinkled in his grey eyes. "When a man
signals `all right,' he _must_ be all right, you know. Let 'em alone,
but stand by and mind your signals."

He had scarcely finished speaking when the man at Jem's life-line gave a
shout, and held on, as if to an angry shark.

"Hallo! Hi! Haul in. Lend a hand!"

He said no more, and did not require to, for willing hands came to the
rescue.

In a few seconds poor Jem Hogg was hauled inboard, and tumbled on the
deck, where he lay rolling about for some time, and kicking as if in a
fit.

"Hold him fast, Bill! Off with his mouth-piece," cried Baldwin,
kneeling on the writhing diver; "why, what's wrong, Jem?"

"Wrong?" gasped Jem, as soon as his glass was off; "wrong? Hey!--haul
me up! Hi!--"

These exclamations terminated in a fearful yell, and it was plain that
Jem was about to relapse into hysterics or a fit, when Baldwin, lifting
him in his arms, planted him sitting-wise, and with some violence, on a
seat.

"Come, none o' _that_" he said sternly. "Off with his helmet, Bill. If
you don't quiet yourself, I'll chuck you overboard--d'ee hear?"

Somewhat reassured by this remark, and having his helmet and weights
removed, Jem Hogg looked about him with bloodshot eyes and a countenance
that was almost sea-green with terror.

"There's nothin' bu'st about your dress," said Baldwin, examining it,
"nor broken about the helmet. What on earth's wrong with you?"

"Wrong?" shouted Jem again, while a horrible grin distorted his
unhandsome visage; "wrong? Hey! Oh! I've seen--seen the--ho!--"

Another relapse seemed imminent, but Baldwin held up a warning finger,
which restored him, and then the poor man went on by slow degrees, and
with many gasping interruptions, to tell how, when busily engaged at
work in the hold of the wreck, he had been suddenly seized by a
"Zanthripologus," or some such hideous creature, with only one eye, like
a glaring carbuncle in its stomach, and dragged right out o' the hold,
overboard, taken to t