The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1869-12-02
1 knew his mighty strength, but also
knew my own agility and skill.

/ knew his mighty strength, but also
knew my own agility and skill
Crow said again, "'Tis bag of gold
found in the cabin, and if you hold your
jaw l shall give We third
"Never shall 1 be dishonest" l said,
after some deliberation, looking pale, l dare
say, but perfectly calm.
Let the reader imagine the scene in a
bell, forty feet under water; it would take
at least twenty minutes to pull it up. A
fierce fight, perhaps a 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
crow bars; but our frightful, gloomy ap-
pearance might have been enough to ter
rify the inhabitants of the deep.
We stood cycling each other for scme
time. he for attack. / for resistance. of
fered to pull the alarm bell, but he
cluched it from me- | attempted nothing
further
After a few minutes pause, he said,
"Will you take shares? ?"
"No" was the firm answer
"Perhaps it is not large enough?"
"All of it is too small"
"You won't give inI' he said.
expected something and prepared my
self.
"Neverr I replied, at length
"Then to death!" he yelled, springing
at me.
Quick as thought I caught his elevated
arm, poised in the air, for stab. l made
a lunge at him, for my blood was reused
at this fiendish attempt on my life. He
parried it, but it caught him on the
shoulder; however, he clutched my wrist,
and there we were Scowling at each other
and foam burst from his bloodless lips, and
his passion wrought face intimidated me
more than his bloodthirsty strokes.
At last he made forcible 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 stabbed
him in the hand His knife fell, but with
a curse that rings yet in my ears, he threw
himself at me, and grasped my body and
arm in his gigantic clasp. [ seized him by
the throat. With the hug of a bear he
tried to break my back; his strength
seemed almost superhuman, but shifting
off the bars of wood by wriggle, we
plunged into the sea beneath. Down,
down we sank No effort was made to
| lose the hold of either. Tighter and
tighter we grIpped, till we fell on the coral
reef. Death itself seemed to me a
trife. Passion and hate seemed but
the consummation of my heart. My
strength was that Of Hercules
under the influence of this de.
moniacal conflict. But want of air stifled
our efforts. AS the fires began to flash be
fore my eyes, and the disc of unconscious
ness to creep over me, | released my hold
| Crow also loosened his. | know little
about this part, but being an excellent
swimmer, | struck out with all my force
The water whizzed by me. was sitting
choking, dying. When reached the sur.
face, with a gasp Of air l recovered, and
was enabled to shrick, Help helpr
when tainted away. AS dream, tloated
before me-men, ropes, boat, and rescue
awoke; but the pain and dizziness and
confusion in my head defy all description
After few hours l could rise, but still
was feeble inquired for Crow; he was
in a delirium. They told me when the
bell was brought up, he lay on the bars a.
dead, grasping the gold bag with both hi
hands They also told me that they bu
rescued me from shark hoyerlng neal
the schooner
Next dav we set sail, and arrived no
long after in New York. Two hundred
pounds was my fee, but the master gave
me fifty more for my honest resistance
! Crow was still bad in his head. They put
him int hospital | called three months
after, and he had gone to the backwoods
| of the far West