I tried to breathe normally as the diving bell lowered farther and farther down. I watched my feet to look for sharks or other dangerous creatures but saw nothing except for the occasional colorful fish. I prayed I wasn’t directly over the sunken ship. If the bell fell onto a mast, I would be impaled, or at the very least, it would ruin the diving bell, so the water would begin to leak in and drown me.
A hundred different thoughts filled my head as I tried not to panic.
It became darker and darker the lower I descended, but there was still enough light to see the ocean floor when the bell finally came to a stop. I was breathing so heavily, I felt like I might suffocate. I put my hand to the hole at the top where the air came through the hose and felt a steady stream, offering only a little reassurance.
Outside the windows, the bubbles from the descent began to clear, and I had a view of my surroundings. Remains from a ship were evident, though it had been torn apart, as Hawk had said about theCapitana. Several cannons littered the sandy floor of the ocean, resting on old coral, rocks, and debris. A bit of coral had begun to form on the metal, and small, colorful fish were swimming around it.
This could be the site of theCapitana’s demise, but it could also be another ship.
I tried to survey the wreckage from my vantage point before I would take a deep breath and leave the bell to investigate further. If this was theCapitana, I needed to be sure.
Even if it was, there was no way to know where the treasure might be sitting.
Part of the hull of a ship was just visible to my left, sticking out of the sand at an odd angle. It was as good as any place to start my search.
Taking a deep breath, I slipped off the narrow bench, and my bare feet hit the sandy bottom. Bits of dead coral poked into my flesh, but I didn’t mind. What I was more afraid of was losing my way on the ocean floor, getting disoriented, and not finding my way back to the bell to get air. If the bell wasn’t so heavy, I might move it toward the wreckage, but it had taken several men to move it on the launch. I would be no match for its weight.
It was time to start my search.
I took another deep breath, filling my lungs as much as possible. The sandbags created a space about eighteen inches wide between the ocean floor and the bottom of the bell. I dove under the edge of the bell and into the ocean.
My eyes burned from the salt water, and it was hard to keep them open, but I didn’t have much time before I’d need to go back for air.
Panic tried to overwhelm me as I scoured the wreckage for signs of identifying the ship and, ultimately, finding the treasure.
When my lungs felt like they would burst, I made my way back to the bell and took several deep breaths before I went back out.
It was almost impossible to identify the ship. It was spread out over the ocean floor and in so many pieces, I couldn’t make out the masthead, the shape of the hull, or any other definitive features. Repeatedly, for what felt like hours, I combed the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, staying close enough to the bell to return for air when my lungs wanted to give out.
Finally, after dozens of trips, my gaze landed on something that sparkled like gold.
Thirty minutes later, I pulled on the recovery rope, my heart pounding hard as I cradled the pieces of eight in my hands. I’d never felt so exhausted, yet the elation at my discovery gave me a surge of energy.
I sat on the bench inside the bell, breathing hard. On the last few excursions to the wreckage, I had pushed myself to the point of recklessness as I recovered the gold coins.
The bell began to rise through the water at a slower pace than it had fallen. But I was on my way up again, and I had something to show for my efforts.
When the windows of the bell revealed that I had come to the surface, the first person I saw was Marcus. The fear and concern on his face filled my heart with joy. The delight at discovering the treasure from theCapitanawas nothing compared to the exhilaration I felt seeing the apprehension in his eyes and knowing it was for my welfare.
My white cotton shirt was sticking to my binding, showing every curve that I had been trying to hide for weeks. I probably looked like a wet dog, with clumps of hair hanging around my face. My burning eyes were probably red and swollen from being open in the salt water. Even now, they were blurry and felt like they were on fire. As soon as I could, I’d need to rinse them with fresh water.
Holding the coins close, I dove into the water and then came up outside of the bell, my head bobbing on the surface of the ocean. I couldn’t help but grin as they all looked to me for an answer.
“I found gold!” I yelled. “There is treasure just nine meters or so in that direction.” I nodded with my head since my hands were full. “Here. Take these pieces of eight.” I set my hands on the launch and opened them to let the coins spill out.
An uproarious cheer came from the pirates as they rushed to the edge to look at the gold.
All but Marcus, who reached for me.
I took his hands and allowed him to help me from the water. He looked so relieved, as if he wanted to pull me into his arms for reassurance, but his gaze took in my form, and he quickly looked away.
I pulled at the clinging shirt and grabbed my vest to put it on with trembling hands, though it would soon be soaked. It would at least give me some semblance of modesty. Thankfully, the others were so busy examining the coins, they didn’t pay attention to me.
When I turned back to Marcus, he shook his head, his lips turning up in a smile. “That was the longest three hours of my life,” he said quietly, as the others celebrated the discovery of gold.
“Three hours?” I had no idea I’d been down there so long.
“Aye.” He took a deep breath, as if he’d been holding it the entire time.
