"What's that?" exclaimed Jackson, pointing to a small,
dark object, of a nearly circular shape, which was floating
about half way between the surface of the place into
which the divers had plunged, and the weeds below.
His companions turned their eyes in the direction indicated,
but, almost immediately after Jackson had spoken, it had
disappeared wholly from view.
"What did it loot like?" asked the corporal.
"It must have been a mush rat," returned Jackson, "there's
plenty of them about here, and I reckon our diving has
disturbed the nest."
Corporal Nixon now took his leap, but some paces farther
out from the shore than his companions had ventured upon
theirs. The direction was the right one. Extending his
arms as he reached a space entirely free from weeds, his
right hand encountered the cold barrel of the musket,
but as he sought to glide it along, in order that he
might grasp the butt, and thus drag it endwise up, his
hand disturbed some hairy substance which rested upon
the weapon causing it to float slightly upwards, until
it came in contact with his naked breast.
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