been
willing to go in that case.

We had a nice sail up the harbor, between the large island upon which
the town stands, and the smaller ones that separate the harbor from the
ocean. After sailing about five miles, we turned out to sea between two
islands, and pretty soon were anchored over the reef.

"Now, then, boss," said Captain Chris, "don't ye want these here boys to
do some divin' for ye?"

"I told you I wouldn't want them," said I. "I'm going to dive, myself."

"_You_ dive, boss!" cried all three of the darkeys at once, and the two
boys began to laugh.

"Ye can't do that, boss," said the captain. "Ef ye aint used to this
here kind o' divin', ye can't do nothin' at all, under this water. Ye
better let the boys go for ye."

"No," said I, "I'm going myself," and I began to take off my clothes.

The colored fellows didn't like it much, for it seemed like taking their
business away from them; but they couldn't help it, and so they just sat
and waited to see how things would turn out.

"You'd better take a look through the glass, before you dive," said
Rectus, "and choose what you're going to get."

"I'm not going to be particular," I replied. "I shall get whatever I
can."

"The tide's pretty strong," said the captain. "You've got to calkelate
fur that."

I was obliged for this information, which was generous on his part,
considering the circumstances, and I dived from the bow, as far out as I
could jump. Down I went, but I didn't reach the bottom, at all. My legs
grazed against some branches and things, but the tide had me back to the
boat in no time, and I came up near the stern, which I seized, and got
on board.

Both the colored boys were grinning, and the captain said:

"Ye can't dive that-a-way, boss. You'll never git to the bottom, at all,
that-a-way. You must go right down, ef you go at all."

I knew that, but I must admit I didn't care much to go all the way down
when I made the first dive. Just as I jumped, I thought of the hard
sharp things at the bottom, and I guess I was a little too careful not
to dive into them.

But now I made a second dive, and I went down beautifully. I made a grab
at the first thing my hand touched. It was a purple knob of coral. But
it stuck tight to its mother-rock, and I was ready to go up before it
was ready to come loose, and so I went up without it.

"'T aint easy to git them things," said the captain, and the two boys
said:

"No indeed, boss, ye cahn't