Yet these
Italian artificers and merchant seamen seemed to take it as coolly as
though such sorties were an everyday occurrence. But at the end of that
time there was a splutter of shots, a few faint squeals, and then a
bonfire lighted up away in the darkness.
The blaze grew rapidly, and showed in its heart the outline of a dhow
with human figures on it. With promptness every man on the steamer
emptied his rifle at the mark, and continued the fusillade till the dhow
was deserted. They had all done their spell of military service, and
they chose to decide that these snipers were Abyssinians, and did their
best toward squaring the national accounts.
Tazzuchi and his friends returned in the boat, safe and jubilant, and
for the rest of that night the little salvage steamer was left in
quietude. With the next daybreak the divers and their attendants once
more applied themselves to labor. Kettle, as he watched, was amazed to
see the energy they put into it. Certainly they seemed keen enough to
get the specie weighed, and on board. Whatever piratical plans they had
got made up were evidently for afterward.
But when day after day passed, and still none of the treasure was
brought to the surface, he began to modify this original opinion.
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