Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-11-20
Independent in all things.
and the master drcatnpt of a princely
Independence.

damaged was hauled on deck, and the
schooner became pretty well laden. ]
think it was about the last dav Of work.
ing, as we were down in the bell. that
Grow again wended his way toward the
cabin. BY this time NY suspicious re-
garding his evil intentions were auietcd,
yet there still fingered about him traces
OF obstinate sulkincss, so that ! took very
little notice Of his operations, and bn.
sled myself about different things in the
hole of the vessel.
think about half an hour must have
passed when ] returned 10 the bell. and
| was startled by the cunning and wicked
cast Of Crows countenance: he was
shutting something beneath his divers
clothes; as the last of it disappeared ]
guessed it was a bag, and the thought
flashed across my mind-a bag Of money.
l quietly asked Crow what it was.
"llumph nothing. What have YOU
to do with it z" he growlcd.
Ny curiosity was further aroused bv
this answer
"Well, you must tell me what it is"
| said, keeping myself as quiet as posi-
ble.
"The devil 1 will!' he shouted, saw
agoly.
"Then you shall lie forced when we
get on deck, replied, resolutelY.
ala ha forced ~ Here he quietly
drew long knife.
Qnick as thought mine was out, too,
for | always carried it in my boot.
81 suspected something like this"
said. ......'
lie scowlcd heavily at me at the other
side of the. bell.
"Now you must tell me what that is,
| said
But nothing daunted, the rufiian cried.
81 will see you dead first !"
] knew his mighty strength, but also
knew my own agility and skill.
Crow said again, lis bag of gold
[ found in the cabin, and if you hold
your jaw | shall 90 ye third"
Never shall | he dishonest" said.
after some deliberalion, looking pale,
dare say, but perfectly calm.
Let the reader imagine the scene in a
bell forty feet under watrr-it would
take at least twenty minutes to pull it
up. y fierce fight, perhaps deadly one,
might be finished by then. Suspicion
might be hushed; the body could be
flung to the ravenous sharks, with which
we sometimes had to combat with our
sharp-pointed crowbars; but our fright
tul, gloomy appearance might have been
enough to territY the inhabitants Of the
deep.
We stood eycing each other for some
time; lie for attack, for resistance.
offered to pull the alarm-bcll, but he
clutched 1t from me. | attempted moth
ing further.
After a few minutes pause, he said,
"Wil You take shares ~
"No!" was the firm answer
"Perhaps il is not large enough 90
GAIL Of it is too small"
"You won't give in?" he said.
"N7ver" replied at length.
"Then to death ~ he yelled, springing
at me.
Quick as thought caught his elevated
arm, poised in the air for a stab. / made
a hinge at him, for my blood was rouse Il
at this tiendish attempt on my life. He
pariied it, but it caught him on the
shoulder; however, he clutchcd my wrist,
and there we were scowling at each
other; the foam burst from his bloodless
! lips, and his paSSion-wrought face init
Undated me mere than lis blood-,hirstv
strokes
At last he made torciJle effort to free
his arm, but | held it with all the strength
of desperation. Amid oaths and curses
he struggled. Sometimes he was quiet,
and the only sound was the hurried pant
ing Of our excited chests. At last
wrenched my hand from his, and stab
bed him in the hand His knife fell, but
with curse that rings yet in my ears,
he threw himself at me aud grasped my
body and arm in his gigantic clasp.
seized him by the throat. With the hue
of a bear he tried to break my back; his
strength seemed almost supcrhuman, but
shifting off the bars of wood by a wrig-
gle, we plunged into the sea beneath.
Down, down, we sank No effort was
made to loose the hold of either. Tighter
and tighter we gripped, till we fell onsI o
the coral reef. Death itself seemed to
me n triilc. Passion and hate seemed
but the consummatlon of my beart. My
strength was that of Hercules, under the
influence of this demoncal conflict. But
want Of air stifled our efforts. AS the
fires began TO flash before my eyes and
the disc of unconsciousncss to creep over
me, l released my hold Grow also loos-
lened his. know little about this part,
but being an excellent swimmer, l struck
out with all my force. The water fairly
whizzed by me. Was stifiiing, choking,
dying. When reached the surface, with
a gasp of mir ! recovered, and was ena
bled 10 shrek, "IIelp! helpp when ]
tainted away. As dream, foated be-
fcre mc-men, ropes, boat and rescue.
I awoko; but the pain and dizziness
and confusion in my head defy all de-
scripiion. Alter few hours | could
rise, but still was feeble. | inquired
for Grow he was in a delirium. They
told me, when the bell was brought up,
he Law on the bars as dead, grasping The
gold bag with both hands. They also
told me that they but rescued me from a
shark lowering near the schooner.
Next day we sailed, and arrived not