he bottom, and there bashed and battered among the
rocks, until all his bones were smashed; squeezed by the monster's
tentacles--sixteen feet long at the very least--until all his ribs were
broke, and his heart nigh forced out of his mouth, and finally pitched
right up to the surface with one tremendous swing of its mighty tail!

All this and a great deal more was related by the unfortunate diver,
while having his dress removed, his volubility increasing as his fears
were allayed, but he was not fairly restored to his wonted state of mind
until he had swallowed a stiff glass of grog, and been put into his
hammock, where, in his sleep, he was heard to protest with great fervour
that he wouldn't go under water again for any sum short of ten hundred
thousand million pounds!

Meanwhile our amateur diver continued his inspection of the wreck.
Returning to the deck he went down into the hold.

The idea occurred to him that the other divers might also be indulging
in a siesta. He therefore left his lamp on the deck behind him. The
hold was very dark, and at first he could see nothing. As he could hear
nothing, he fancied that the men could not be there, but he was somewhat
rudely corrected in this error by receiving a severe blow on the helmet
from a large box which, having just been attached to the slings, was
being hauled up by the men at the windlass overhead. The blow knocked
him off a beam on which he stood, and he fell on the cargo below,
fortunately, however, without evil result, owing to the medium in which
he half-floated. Presently his eyes became accustomed to the faint
light that penetrated from above, and he saw an indistinct figure moving
slowly towards him, with a sprawling motion. As it drew near, the huge
head and distended form proved it to be a diver. He was guiding the box
above mentioned, and had let it slip, when it came so violently against
Edgar's helmet. Not wishing to be recognised at first, our amateur drew
back into a darker spot and watched.

The diver bent his head close to the slings, apparently to see that all
was secure, and gave a signal with his line on which the box moved
slowly up. A few minutes later it was deposited on the deck of the
vessel overhead, and added to the heap of goods which had previously
been recovered from the deep.

The diver sprawled slowly back into darkness again. As he disappeared,
a similar figure became faintly visible, guiding another box of goods.
T