“He’s a coming to!” said the skipper eagerly; and his words proved to be right, for at the end of half an hour the poor fellow had recovered consciousness, and was able to say that his life-line had become hitched round a mass of rock, to which was attached some very long grown strands of sea-weed, and these had been swept by the water right over the line. Then when he had tried to free it his hands only came in contact with the loose slimy wrack, and after a trial or two he had become confused and excited.
“And you know I’ve allus told you as a diver should be as cool as a cucumber,” said his chief.
“Yes, I know all about that,” said the diver huskily, “and so I meant to be; but when you’re shut-up in one o’ them soots and are down in three or four fathom o’ water, and thinking your life-line’s fast, you don’t seem as if you could be cool, mate.”
“But you ought to be,” said the chief severely; “and now, all along o’ your getting in a flurry, here’s the newest helmet with a great dent in the neck, so as it won’t screw down on the collar, and I shall have to pay damages out o’ my wage.”
“Better than having to pay to keep my wife and weans,” said the diver huskily; “and now I want to have a look at that young chap as dived and set free the line.”
“Here he be!” cried Josh eagerly, hauling at Will’s arm; “here he be, lad. Ain’t much of a chap to have done it, be he?”
Josh laughed, and gave Will a thrust forward, much to the lad’s discomfort, for there was a low murmur of admiration from the little group around.
“Oh, it’s nothing to make such a fuss about!” said Will, whose cheeks were burning now, as he stood there with the sea-water slowly soaking from his clothes, and making a little puddle on the deck.
“No!” said the diver huskily; “it’s nothing to make a fuss about; only one man saving another man’s life, when nobody else knew what to do!”
“Oh, it was an accident!” said Will kindly; “and they hadn’t time to think.”