Dark sediment boiled toward the surface.
Otis lowered the binoculars.
Nobody joked.
Eli pulled again.
The water near the center rolled.
A bubble broke.
Then another.
Dale waded in behind Eli, stopping slightly shallower.
“Want help?”
“Yes.”
They pulled together.
Short movement.
Pause.
Another.
Whatever was below dragged upward reluctantly.
Black water spread around the rope.
Marcus stepped closer to shore.
“Easy.”
Something struck beneath the surface.
Metal.
Every man heard it.
Eli looked back.
“That’s not a root.”
“No,” Warren said.
“It isn’t.”
They pulled again.
First came a curved piece of iron.