“What a clean dive!”
“Yes; he is grace itself. But say, Clif——”
“He’s got it. Hurray! He catch dime1 plenty well. Hi! here another.”
“You are getting mighty2 liberal with your money, Trolley3.”
“I no care. It worth dollar to see diving like that. Hi! you little boy, here some more.”
The group of naval4 cadets were leaning over the port railing on the forecastle of Monongahela.
It was shortly after quarters on a Saturday morning, and the trim old frigate6 was riding easily at anchor in the Tagus River just off the main landing dock of Lisbon, Portugal.
After a truly eventful voyage from Annapolis she had finally arrived in port, and the one hundred and sixty odd cadets on board were waiting eagerly for the time when they could have a run ashore7.
The necessary formalities of port inspection8 had been gone through with, and the ship was in a gala attire9 aloft and alow in anticipation10 of the visit always paid an American vessel11 by the youth and beauty of quaint12 old Lisbon.
Boats filled with merry parties were coming from the dock even now, and the appearance of many pretty girls in them was beginning to take the cadets’ attention away from a previous attraction.
That attraction was the diving of a number of native boys after coins thrown from the ship. Alongside were half a dozen small and rickety boats occupied by the agile13 young divers14.
They were continually importuning15 the cadets to toss bits of silver or copper16 money into the water.
One, a lithe17, clean-limbed lad of about sixteen, was the leader of the party, and it was his clever diving which had wrung18 the words of admiration19 from Trolley, given at the commencement of this chapter.
The diversion of watching the divers began to grow monotonous20 after a while.
“The little beggars are pretty good, but their act palls21 on one,” yawned Toggles, stretching his arms.
“Did you hear anything about the liberty list, Clif?” asked Grat Wallace, with a yearning22 glance ashore.
“It isn’t made up yet, I believe. We won’t touch the dock until afternoon anyway.”
“And we have got to be back by ten o’clock,” grumbled23 Nanny.
“Always kicking, always finding trouble,” sighed Joy, with a doleful shake of the head. “Why can’t you be peaceable and contented24 like me, youngster? It’s painful to a man of meek25 and lowly spirit to see such contention26 and strife27. If you don’t like the way they conduct liberty on this ship, why don’t you knock the blooming head off the executive officer? Act with due humility28 and beat the face off the captain.”
The others laughed. They understood Joy.
“I say, Clif, look there,” suddenly spoke29 up Trolley. “Here comes what you call peach.”
He nodded his head toward a couple of young ladies who were approaching from aft. They had formed part of a visiting party from shore and were strolling about the deck intent on inspecting the ship after their own fashion.
Both were very pretty, but one, a tall and rather willowy brunette, was particularly handsome. A wealth of lustrous30 black hair fell to her shoulders; her eyes were large and sparkling, and her lips, half parted, showed two rows of regular, pearly teeth.
She was smiling at something her companion had said as they neared the group of plebes, and the boys fairly gasped31 at her loveliness.
Clif eyed her furtively32, his heart beating more rapidly than usual. His expressive33 countenance34 proclaimed his strong admiration, and that must have been the reason why the beautiful girl blushed slightly as she met his ardent35 gaze.
The girls stopped at the forecastle railing and looked over at the diver boys below.
They laughed, and one—the lovelier of the two—held up a small coin.
All the youthful divers prepared to spring into the water as soon as the bit of money left her hand. The lithe young leader poised36 himself upon the very edge of his boat.
“Ready!” called out the girl in Portuguese37. “It is a hundred reis piece, so do your best.”
She gleefully waved her hand back and forth38, then, just as she was about to release the coin, something bright and glittering slipped from her wrist and fell into the water.
It was a bracelet39.
A little scream came from the girl, there was a commotion40 among the group of plebes, then one was seen to vault41 lightly over the rail and strike the water in a neat dive.
It was Clif!
In an instant there was great excitement on board the practice ship. The loud splash was heard fore5 and aft, and a rush was made for that side.
Some one raised a cry of “Man overboard!”
The officer of the deck sprang upon the gangway with a life-preserver, and the crew detailed42 to the lifeboat ran to their stations at the boatfalls.
And in the meantime the cause of all this commotion was experiencing a rather peculiar43 adventure.
Clif possessed44 to a remarkable45 degree the power of quick decision and action in cases of emergency. He seldom required more than a few seconds to make up his mind.
In the present case he was upon the rail and preparing to dive almost before the bracelet had touched the water. With all his promptness, he was not alone, however.
The young Portuguese boy—the chief spirit among the youthful divers—had also seen the flash of metal.
To him it meant a coveted46 reward, and his brown heels twinkled in the air just a second after Clif’s body left the top of the forecastle rail.
The two went under the water together.
Clif’s eyes opened after he vanished below the surface. He saw, glittering below him, the bespangled bracelet. And he also saw the dark shadow cast by his antagonist47.
Of the two the native lad was probably more at home in the water, but Faraday had a store of determination and grit48 which made up for it.
As soon as he
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