ck, gasping for breath,
and utterly unable to utter a word.

Ella's eager face blanched deadly white at the horrifying spectacle I
presented as I lay prone at her feet, but her evident alarm quickly
vanished upon my assurance that I was absolutely unhurt.

"Now, lad," said Bob, "give an old friend a shake of your flipper. I'm
right down glad to see ye well and hearty, my dear boy," he continued,
with strong emotion. "We both saw that doubly and everlastingly cursed
brute range up and take a berth close above ye; and, to own the plain,
honest truth, I put ye down as good as done for. There warn't no time
to do anything by way of warning ye, or lending ye a hand anyways; for,
afore I could collect my scattered wits, we saw ye let go the sinker,
and next minute the water alongside was like a biling pot; and then we
seed the blood, and bust me if I didn't turn that sick and queer I
couldn't see a thing, just for a moment; and when I hauled ye aboard, I
couldn't for the life of me tell whether you was dead or alive. Now
let's get up them few h'isters that was like to have cost us all so
dear, and get away from the spot as soon as we can."

We were not very long in getting the remainder of the oysters on board,
and soon afterwards we had the cutter back at her old berth. Our first
task, as soon as the craft was at anchor again, was to transfer our
booty to the shore, where we spread them out on a large tarpaulin on the
sand to die. The method pursued by the regular pearl-fishers, I
believe, is to allow the fish to remain until they are in an advanced
stage of decay, when the pearls are sought for amongst the putrid mass.
I felt no inclination, however, for such a task, and, moreover, did not
care to expend so much time as this process involved. I conjectured
that, the fish once dead, they might be opened with comparatively little
difficulty; and I thought that by the time our overhaul and painting was
completed, the oysters would be in a fit state for operating upon.

After tea was over, I took occasion to inform Ella that I had somewhat
to say to her, and requested her to accompany me on shore and take a
short walk on the beach, that I might speak without being embarrassed by
Bob's presence.

She stepped silently into the boat, and in a few minutes more we stood
together on the strand. Taking the arm which I offered her, she said:

"Now, Harry, what is it you wish to say to me?"

"It is a question of the utmos