"Six feet forward of the boiler is where we must search, and I'd better make the first attempt, for I can tell just what part of the machinery is in our road, while the rest of you wouldn't know so much about it."
"Lower yourself by the timbers. It won't do to dive head foremost until we're sure everything is clear," and Bob held out his hand to assist the engineer in making the descent.
Joe fastened the heaving-line to the iron pipes that he might have weight enough to hold him at the bottom while making the investigation, when those on the raft could haul up the metal to be used again, and, swinging clear of the rail with Bob's aid, he sunk beneath the surface.
Never had a hundred seconds appeared so long to Harry as now. It seemed that the diver had been out of sight fully five minutes, and he was beginning to fear some accident had happened, when Joe reappeared, gasping for breath but looking very happy.
"There's nothing to interfere with our working," he said, as soon as it was possible to speak. "Nearly everything has fallen aft, and, with the exception of some light fittings, the ballast is as free as when we left it."
"Is the raft in the right position?" Bob asked.
"As near as I can make out it should be run ahead, ten or a dozen feet. I pulled away five or six of the largest rocks; but a fellow can't do very much work when it's impossible to breathe."
Bob was eager to make the descent, and after Jim had pulled in the pipe-weights he hauled the raft ahead where Harry and Joe made her fast again as the old sailor disappeared beneath the surface.
He remained below several seconds longer than had the engineer, and on coming up confirmed the first report.
"It's only a matter of time before we'll have our hands on that gold once more," he said. "I reckon Joe begun in the right place, an' we must all work on the same hole. Jim, you go over, and leave Harry to 'tend to the weights."