“Now,” he said; “haul up steadily. I think she’ll come.”
I tightened the line, and for a moment or two there was a dead resistance. Then something heavy began to stir, and I hauled away steadily, hand over hand.
“I’ve got it,” I said as I gazed down. “It was right in amongst some strong weed. Here it comes.”
I pulled away till I had nearly got it to the top, and then Bigley came to my help, reached over, and the object I was dragging up bumped against the boat, slipped out of the noose, and went down rapidly just like a mass of stone.
“What did you fasten the line to that for?” I said.
“What did I do it for, Sep?” he panted. “Didn’t you see what it was?”
“No,” I said bluntly.
“What did it look like?”
“Box covered with sea-weed,” I replied.
“Well, don’t you see now?”