IwasinJimmyGoggles，allexceptthehelmet。’Easy，’saysAlways，’there’shermast。’AndafterI’dhadjustonesquintoverthegunwale，IcaughtupthebogeyandalmosttippedoutasoldSandersbroughttheboatround。Whenthewindowswerescrewedandeverythingwasallright，Ishutthevalvefromtheairbeltinordertohelpmysinking，andjumpedoverboard，feetforemost——forwehadn’taladder。Ilefttheboatpitching，andallofthemstaringdownintothewaterafterme，asmyheadsankdownintotheweedsandblacknessthatlayaboutthemast。Isupposenobody，notthemostcautiouschapintheworld，wouldhavebotheredaboutalookoutatsuchadesolateplace。Itstunkofsolitude。
“OfcourseyoumustunderstandthatIwasagreenhornatdiving。
Noneofusweredivers。We’dhadtomuckaboutwiththethingtogetthewayofit，andthiswasthefirsttimeI’dbeendeep。Itfeelsdamnable。Yourearshurtbeastly。Idon’tknowifyou’veeverhurtyourselfyawningorsneezing，butittakesyoulikethat，onlytentimesworse。Andapainovertheeyebrowshere——splitting——andafeelinglikeinfluenzainthehead。Anditisn’tallheaveninyourlungsandthings。Andgoingdownfeelslikethebeginningofalift，onlyitkeepson。Andyoucan’tturnyourheadtoseewhat’saboveyou，andyoucan’tgetafairsquintatwhat’shappeningtoyourfeetwithoutbendingdownsomethingpainful。Andbeingdeepitwasdark，letalonetheblacknessoftheashesandmudthatformedthebottom。
Itwaslikegoingdownoutofthedawnbackintothenight，sotospeak。
“Themastcameuplikeaghostoutoftheblack，andthenalotoffishes，andthenalotofflappingredseaweed，andthenwhackIcamewithakindofdullbangonthedeckoftheOceanPioneer，andthefishesthathadbeenfeedingonthedeadroseaboutmelikeaswarmoffliesfromroadstuffinsummertime。Iturnedonthecompressedairagain——forthesuitwasabitthickandmackintosheryafterall，inspiteoftherum——andstoodrecoveringmyself。Itstruckcoolishdownthere，andthathelpedtakeoffthestuffinessabit。
“WhenIbegantofeeleasier，Istartedlookingaboutme。Itwasanextraordinarysight。Eventhelightwasextraordinary，akindofreddy-colouredtwilight，onaccountofthestreamersofseaweedthatfloateduponeithersideoftheship。Andfaroverheadjustamoony，deepgreen-blue。Thedeckoftheship，exceptforaslightlisttostarboard，waslevel，andlayalldarkandlongbetweentheweeds，clearexceptwherethemastshadsnappedwhensherolled，andvanishingintoblacknighttowardstheforecastle。Therewasn’tanydeadonthedecks，mostwereintheweedsalongside，Isuppose；
butafterwardsIfoundtwoskeletonslyinginthepassengers’cabins，wheredeathhadcometothem。Itwascurioustostandonthatdeckandrecogniseitall，bitbybit；aplaceagainsttherailwhereI’dbeenfondofsmokingbystarlight，andthecornerwhereanoldchapfromSydneyusedtoflirtwithawidowwehadaboard。Acomfortablecouplethey’dbeen，onlyamonthago，andnowyoucouldn’thavegotamealforababycraboffeitherofthem。
“I’vealwayshadabitofaphilosophicalturn，andIdaresayI
spentthebestpartoffiveminutesinsuchthoughtsbeforeIwentbelowtofindwheretheblesseddustwasstored。Itwasslowworkhunting，feelingitwasforthemostpart，pitchydark，withconfusingbluegleamsdownthecompanion。Andtherewerethingsmovingabout，adabatmyglassonce，andonceapinchatmyleg。Crabs，Iexpect。
Ikickedalotofloosestuffthatpuzzledme，andstoopedandpickedupsomethingallknobsandspikes。Whatdoyouthink？
Backbone！ButIneverhadanyparticularfeelingforbones。Wehadtalkedtheaffairoverprettythoroughly，andAlwaysknewjustwherethestuffwasstowed。Ifounditthattrip。Iliftedaboxoneendaninchormore。“
Hebrokeoffinhisstory。“I’veliftedit，“hesaid，“asnearasthat！Fortythousandpoundsworthofpuregold！Gold！Ishoutedinsidemyhelmetasakindofcheerandhurtmyears。Iwasgettingconfoundedstuffyandtiredbythistime——Imusthavebeendowntwenty-fiveminutesormore——andIthoughtthiswasgoodenough。
Iwentupthecompanionagain，andasmyeyescameupflushwiththedeck，athunderinggreatcrabgaveakindofhystericaljumpandwentscuttlingoffsideways。Quiteastartitgaveme。Istoodupclearondeckandshutthevalvebehindthehelmettolettheairaccumulatetocarrymeupagain——Inoticedakindofwhackingfromabove，asthoughtheywerehittingthewaterwithanoar，butIdidn’tlookup。Ifanciedtheyweresignallingmetocomeup。
“Andthensomethingshotdownbyme——somethingheavy，andstooda-quiverintheplanks。Ilooked，andtherewasalongknifeI’dseenyoungSandershandling。ThinksI，he’sdroppedit，andIwasstillcallinghimthiskindoffoolandthat——foritmighthavehurtmeserious——whenIbegantoliftanddriveuptowardsthedaylight。
JustaboutthelevelofthetopsparsoftheOceanPioneer，whack！
Icameagainstsomethingsinkingdown，andabootknockedinfrontofmyhelmet。Thensomethingelse，strugglingfrightful。Itwasabigweightatopofme，whateveritwas，andmovingandtwistingabout。I’dhavethoughtitabigoctopus，orsomesuchthing，ifithadn’tbeenfortheboot。Butoctopusesdon’twearboots。Itwasallinamoment，ofcourse。Ifeltmyselfsinkingdownagain，andIthrewmyarmsabouttokeepsteady，andthewholelotrolledfreeofmeandshotdownasIwentup——“
Hepaused。
“IsawyoungSanders’sface，overanakedblackshoulder，andaspeardrivencleanthroughhisneck，andoutofhismouthandneckwhatlookedlikespirtsofpinksmokeinthewater。Anddowntheywentclutchingoneanother，andturningover，andbothtoofargonetoleavego。Andinanothersecondmyhelmetcameawhack，fittosplit，againsttheniggers’canoe。Itwasniggers！Twocanoesfull。
“Itwaslivelytimes，Itellyou！OverboardcameAlwayswiththreespearsinhim。Therewasthelegsofthreeorfourblackchapskickingaboutmeinthewater。Icouldn’tseemuch，butIsawthegamewasupataglance，gavemyvalveatremendoustwist，andwentbubblingdownagainafterpoorAlways，inasawfulastateofscareandastonishmentasyoucanwellimagine。IpassedyoungSandersandtheniggergoingupagainandstrugglingstillabit，andinanothermomentIwasstandinginthedimagainonthedeckoftheOceanPioneer。
“’Gummy，’thinksI，’here’safix！’Niggers？AtfirstIcouldn’tseeanythingforitbutStiflebeloworStabsabove。Ididn’tproperlyunderstandhowmuchairtherewastolastme，butIdidn’tfeellikestandingverymuchmoreofitdownbelow。Iwashotandfrightfullyheady——quiteapartfromthebluefunkIwasin。We’dneverrepinedwiththesebeastlynatives，filthyPapuanbeasts。Itwasn’tanygood，comingupwhereIwas，butIhadtodosomething。Onthespurofthemoment，Iclamberedoverthesideofthebrigandlandedamongtheweeds，andsetoffthroughthedarknessasfastasIcould。
Ijuststoppedonceandknelt，andtwistedbackmyheadinthehelmetandhadalookup。Itwasamostextraordinarybrightgreen-blueabove，andthetwocanoesandtheboatfloatingthereverysmallanddistantlikeakindoftwistedH。Anditmademefeelsicktosquintupatit，andthinkwhatthepitchingandswayingofthethreemeant。
“ItwasjustaboutthemosthorribletenminutesIeverhad，blunderingaboutinthatdarkness，pressuresomethingawful，likebeingburiedinsand，painacrossthechest，sickwithfunk，andbreathingnothingasitseemedbutthesmellofrumandmackintosh。Gummy！Afterabit，Ifoundmyselfgoingupasteepishsortofslope。Ihadanothersquinttoseeifanythingwasvisibleofthecanoesandboats，andthenkepton。Istoppedwithmyheadafootfromthesurface，andtriedtoseewhereIwasgoing，but，ofcourse，nothingwastobeseenbutthereflectionofthebottom。ThenoutIdashedlikeknockingmyheadthroughamirror。DirectlyIgotmyeyesoutofthewater，IsawI’dcomeupakindofbeachneartheforest。Ihadalookround，butthenativesandthebrigwerebothhiddenbyabig，hummuckyheapoftwistedlava，thebornfoolinmesuggestedarunforthewoods。Ididn’ttakethehelmetoff，buteasedopenoneofthewindows，and，afterabitofapant，wentonoutofthewater。
You’dhardlyimaginehowcleanandlighttheairtasted。
“Ofcourse，withfourinchesofleadinyourbootsoles，andyourheadinacopperknobthesizeofafootball，andbeenthirty-fiveminutesunderwater，youdon’tbreakanyrecordsrunning。Iranlikeaploughboygoingtowork。AndhalfwaytothetreesIsawadozenniggersormore，comingoutinagaping，astonishedsortofwaytomeetme。
“Ijuststoppeddead，andcursedmyselfforallthefoolsoutofLondon。Ihadaboutasmuchchanceofcuttingbacktothewaterasaturnedturtle。Ijustscrewedupmywindowagaintoleavemyhandsfree，andwaitedforthem。Therewasn’tanythingelseformetodo。
“Buttheydidn’tcomeonverymuch。Ibegantosuspectwhy。’JimmyGoggles，’Isays，’it’syourbeautydoesit。’Iwasinclinedtobealittlelight-headed，Ithink，withallthesedangersaboutandthechangeinthepressureoftheblessedair。’Who’reyestaringat？’I
said，asifthesavagescouldhearme。’Whatd’yetakemefor？I’mhangedifIdon’tgiveyousomethingtostareat，’Isaid，andwiththatIscreweduptheescapevalveandturnedonthecompressedairfromthebelt，untilIwasswelledoutlikeablownfrog。Regularimposingitmusthavebeen。I’mblessedifthey’dcomeonastep；
andpresentlyoneandthenanotherwentdownontheirhandsandknees。
Theydidn’tknowwhattomakeofme，andtheywasdoingtheextrapolite，whichwasverywiseandreasonableofthem。Ihadhalfamindtoedgebackseawardandcutandrun，butitseemedtoohopeless。A
stepbackandthey’dhavebeenafterme。AndoutofsheerdesperationIbegantomarchtowardsthemupthebeach，withslow，heavysteps，andwavingmyblown-outarmsabout，inadignifiedmanner。AndinsideofmeIwassingingassmallasatomtit。
“Butthere’snothinglikeastrikingappearancetohelpamanoveradifficulty，——I’vefoundthatbeforeandsince。Peoplelikeourselves，who’reuptodiving-dressesbythetimewe’reseven，canscarcelyimaginetheeffectofoneonasimple-mindedsavage。Oneortwooftheseniggerscutandrun，theothersstartedinagreathurrytryingtoknocktheirbrainsoutontheground。AndonIwentasslowandsolemnandsilly-lookingandartfulasajobbingplumber。
Itwasevidenttheytookmeforsomethingimmense。
“Thenupjumpedoneandbeganpointing，makingextraordinarygesturestomeashedidso，andalltheothersbegansharingtheirattentionbetweenmeandsomethingoutatsea。’What’sthematternow？’Isaid。
Iturnedslowlyonaccountofmydignity，andthereIsaw，comingroundapoint，thepooroldPrideofBanyatowedbyacoupleofcanoes。