Under the Waves - Robert Michael Ballantyne (red queen ebook .TXT) 📗

to his wife.

"How could I hinder you, Joe?" answered Mrs Baldwin, with a face reddened by suppressed emotion at the bare idea.

"And will you go with me, Susan?"

"I'd sooner go to the--" she stopped, unable to decide as to what part of earth she would not sooner go to than China, but not being versed in geography she finished by asserting that she'd sooner go to the moon!

Pretty little Mrs Machowl, on the contrary, vowed that no power on earth should separate between her and her Rooney, and that if he went she should go, and the baby too.

"Well then, Miss," said Baldwin to his visitor, "if you'll be so kind as to write for me I'll be obliged. Say to Mister Eddy--I can't forget the old name, you see--that I'm agreeable; that I'll undertake the job, along with Rooney Machowl here, and mayhap another man or two. I'll get all the dresses and apparatus he requires, and will set sail as soon as I can; but, you see, I can't well start right off, because I've a job or two on hand. I've a well to go down an' putt right, an' I've some dock repairs to finish. However, to save time I'll send Rooney off at once with one dress and apparatus, so that they can be tryin' experiments till I arrive--which will be by the following steamer. _Now_, Miss, d'you think you can tell him all that?"

"I will try," said Miss Pritty, making rapid entries in a small note-book, after completing which and putting a few more questions she hurried home.

Meanwhile Rooney's wife went off to make arrangements for a long voyage, and a probably prolonged residence in foreign parts, and Joe Baldwin went to visit the well he had engaged to descend, taking Rooney as his assistant. During his visit to this well, Joe underwent some experiences, both physical and mental, which tried his nerve and courage more severely than any descent he had ever made in the open sea.

It is a well-known fact among divers that various temperaments are suited to various works, and that, among other things, many men who are bold enough in open water lose courage in confined places such as wells. They say--so powerful is imagination!--that they "cannot breathe" down in a well, though, of course, the means of breathing is the same in all cases. Joe Baldwin, being gifted with cool blood and strong nerves, and possessing very little imagination, was noted among his fellows for his readiness and ability to venture anywhere under water and do anything.

The well in question was connected with the waterworks of a neighbouring town. Having got himself and his apparatus conveyed thither he spent the night in the town and proceeded on the following morning at day-break to inspect the scene of his operations.

The well was an old one and very deep--about fifteen fathoms. That, however, was a matter of small importance to our diver. What concerned him most was the narrowness of the manhole or entrance at the top, and the generally dilapidated state of the whole affair.

The well, instead of being a circular hole in the ground lined with brick, like ordinary wells, was composed of huge iron cylinders four feet in diameter, fitted together and sunk ninety feet into the ground. This vast tube or circular iron well rested on a foundation of brick-work. When sunk to its foundation its upper edge was just level with the ground. Inside of this tube there were a variety of cross-beams, and a succession of iron ladders zigzagging from top to bottom, so that it could be descended when empty. At the time of Joe's visit it was found nearly full of water. Down the centre of the well ran two iron pipes, or pumps, each having a "rose" at its lower end, through which the water could be sucked and pumped up to a reservoir a hundred feet high for the supply of the town. These two pumps were worked by an engine whose distinguishing features were noise and rickets. It could, however, just do its work; but, recently, something had gone wrong with one of the pumps--no water was thrown up by it. Two results followed. On the one hand the water-supply to the town became insufficient, and, on the other, the surplus water in the well could not be pumped out so as to permit of a man descending to effect repairs. In these circumstances a diver became absolutely necessary. Hence the visit of Baldwin and Machowl.

"Now then, diver," said the managing engineer of the works to Joe, after he had examined everything above ground with care, "you see it is impossible to pump the well dry, because of the defective pump and the strength of the spring which feeds it. Water is admitted into the great cylinder through a number of holes in the bottom. These holes therefore must be stopped. In order to this, you will have to descend in the water with a bag of wooden pegs and a hammer--all of which are ready for you--and plug up these holes. You see, the work to be done is simple enough."

"Ay," asserted Baldwin, "but the way how to set about it ain't so simple or clear. How, for instance, is a man of my size to squeeze through that hole at the top?"

"You _are_ large," said the engineer, regarding the diver for a moment, "but not too large, I should think, to squeeze through."

"What! With a divin' dress on?"

"Ah, true; I fear that is a puzzling difficulty at the outset, for you see the well is frail, and we dare not venture to enlarge the hole by cutting the beams that support the pumps."

While he was speaking the diver put his head through the hole in question, and gazed down into darkness visible where water was dripping and gurgling, and hissing a sort of accompaniment to the discordant clanking and jarring of the pump-rods. The rickety engine that worked them kept puffing close alongside--grinding out a horrible addition to the din. As his eyes became more accustomed to the subdued light, Baldwin could see that there was an empty space between the surface of the water and the top of the well, great part of the first length of _zigzag_ ladder being visible, and also the cross-beams on which its foot rested. He also observed various green slimy beams, which being perpetually moistened by droppings from the pumps, seemed alive like water snakes.

"Well," said the diver, withdrawing his head, "I'll try it. I'll dress inside there. You're sure o' the old ingine, I fancy?"

"It has not yet failed us," answered the engineer, with a smile.

"What would happen if it broke or stopped working?" asked Joe.

"The well would fill to the brim and overflow in a minute or two."

"So that," rejoined the diver, "if it caught me in the middle o' dressin', me and my mate would be drownded."

"You'd stand a good chance of coming to that end," replied the engineer, with a laugh. "Your mate might get out in time, but as you say the dress would prevent you getting back through the hole, there would be no hope for _you_."

"Well then, we'll begin," said Baldwin; "come, Rooney, get the gear in order." So saying, the adventurous man went to work with his wonted energy. The air-pumps were set up, and two men of the works instructed in the use of them. Then Baldwin squeezed himself with difficulty through the manhole, and the dress was passed down to him. Rooney then squeezed himself through, and both went a few steps down the iron ladder until they stood on the cross-beams behind and underneath it. The position was exceedingly awkward, for the ladder obliged them to stoop, and they did not dare to move their feet except with caution, for fear of slipping off the beams into the water--in which, even as it was, they were ankle-deep while standing on the beams. They were soon soaked to the skin by the drippings and spirtings from the pipes, and almost incapable of hearing each other speak, owing to the din. If Rooney had dropped the lead-soled boots or the shoulder-weights, they would have sunk at once beyond recovery, and have rendered the descent of the diver very difficult if not impossible.

Realising all this, the two comrades proceeded with great care and slowness. Dressing a diver in the most favourable circumstances involves a considerable amount of physical exertion and violence of action. It may therefore be well believed that in the case of which we write, a long time elapsed before Baldwin got the length of putting on his helmet. At last it was screwed on. Then a hammer and a bagful of wooden pins were placed in his hands.

"Now, Joe, are ye aisy?" asked Rooney, holding the front-glass in his hand, preparatory to sealing his friend up.

"All right," answered Baldwin.

"Set a-goin' the air-pumps up there," shouted Rooney, from whose face the perspiration flowed freely, as much from anxiety about his friend as from prolonged exertion in a constrained attitude.

In a few seconds the air came hissing into the helmet, showing that the two men who wrought it were equal to their duty, though inexperienced.

"All right?" asked Rooney a second time.

The reply was given, "Yes," and the bull's-eye was screwed on.

Rooney then sprang up the ladder and through the manhole; took his station at the signal-line and air-pipe, while the engineer of the works watched the air-pump. The rickety steam-engine was then stopped, and, as had been predicted, the water rose quickly. It rose over Baldwin's knees, waist, and head, and, finally, rushed out at the manhole, deluging Rooney's legs.

Our diver was now fairly imprisoned; an accident, however trifling in itself, that should stop the air-pump would have been his death-knell. Fully impressed with this uncomfortable assurance, he felt his way slowly down the second ladder, knocking his head slightly against cross-beams as he went, holding on tightly to his bag and hammer, and getting down into darkness so profound as to be "felt." He soon reached the head of the third ladder, and then the fourth.

But here, at a depth of about thirty feet, an unexpected difficulty occurred which had well-nigh caused a failure. The head of the fourth ladder was covered with wood, through which a square manhole led to the bottom of the well. Of course Joe Baldwin discovered this only by touch, and great was his anxiety when, passing his hand round it, he found the hole to be too small for his broad shoulders to pass. At this point, he afterwards admitted, he "felt rather curious," the whole structure being very frail. However, with characteristic determination he muttered to himself, "never mind, Joe, do it if you can," and down he went through the hole, putting one arm down with his body, and holding the other up and drawing it down after him, by which process he squeezed his shoulders through at an angle. After reaching the bottom of the well, a feeling of alarm seized him lest he should be unable to force his way upwards through the hole. To settle this question at once he ascended to it, forced himself through, and then, being easy