for the woods. I didn't take the helmet off, but eased open one of

the windows, and, after a bit of a pant, went on out of the water.

You'd hardly imagine how clean and light the air tasted.



"Of course, with four inches of lead in your boot soles, and your

head in a copper knob the size of a football, and been thirty-five

minutes under water, you don't break any records running. I ran like

a ploughboy going to work. And half way to the trees I saw a dozen

niggers or more, coming out in a gaping, astonished sort of way

to meet me.



"I just stopped dead, and cursed myself for all the fools out of

London. I had about as much chance of cutting back to the water as

a turned turtle. I just screwed up my window again to leave my hands

free, and waited for them. There wasn't anything else for me to do.



"But they didn't come on very much. I began to suspect why. 'Jimmy

Goggles,' I says, 'it's your beauty does it.' I was inclined to be a

little light-headed, I think, with all these dangers about and the

change in the pressure of the blessed air. 'Who're ye staring at?' I

said, as if the savages could hear me. 'What d'ye take me for? I'm

hanged if I don't give you something to stare at,' I said, and with

that I screwed up the escape valve and turned on the compressed air

from the belt, until I was swelled out like a blown frog. Regular

imposing it must have been. I'm blessed if they'd come on a step;

and presently one and then another went down on their hands and knees.

They didn't know what to make of me, and they was doing the extra

polite, which was very wise and reasonable of them. I had half a mind

to edge back seaward and cut and run, but it seemed too hopeless. A

step back and they'd have been after me. And out of sheer desperation

I began to march towards them up the beach, with slow, heavy steps,

and waving my blown-out arms about, in a dignified manner. And inside

of me I was singing as small as a tomtit.



"But there's nothing like a striking appearance to help a man over a

difficulty,--I've found that before and since. People like ourselves,

who're up to diving-dresses by the time we're seven, can scarcely

imagine the effect of one on a simple-minded savage. One or two

of these niggers cut and run, the others started in a great hurry

trying to knock their brains out on the ground. And on I went as

slow and solemn and silly-looking and artful as a jobbing plumber.

It was evident they took me for something immense.



"Then up jumped one and began pointing, making extraordinary gestures

to me as he did so, and all the others began sharing their attention

between me and something out at sea. 'What's the matter now?' I said.

I turned slowly on account of my dignity, and there I saw, coming

round a point, the poor old Pride of Banya towed by a couple of canoes.

The sight fairly made me sick. But they evidently expected some

recognition, so I waved my arms in a striking sort of non-committal



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