The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-12-04


Kissed through his clenched teeth: No,
Tom Baxter! She never will be your
wifep and, turning, he sprang up the
steps out Of the forecas'le before could
stop him.
''As you may imagine, was boiling
mad, and surprised as we'll. l followed
Bill on deck and saw him sitting on a
water cask with both hands up to his
face. approached him, and, touching
him on the shoulder, asked as gently
as l could for the return of the picture.
"As he looked up to me, the expression
of his countenance was that Of maniac;
his features were distorted with either
anger or anguish, know not which.
"'Come, GOMEZ said, after pause,
during which my chum glared vacantly
at me. Give me back the photo.
graph
The answer I received was blow,
and down l went as though shot, with
Bill on top. was considerably stronger
than he in those days and soon got the
best Of the affair. held Bill down on
deck with one hand at his throat and
with the other pulled the picture from
his pocket, but in doing so it was torn
in two and only secured one-half. At
this instant our shipmates separated us,
and for the rest of that day we avoided
each other as niue h as possible.
ION Monday morning, as we were
dressing ourselves side by side as usual,
ready to 60 down to work, / could hear
Bill muttering under his breath, and
just as his tender was screwing on the
face-piece to his helmet, l caught a
most m alignant look upon his features,
but he uttered no threats aloud.
my companion had scarcely reached
the bottom ere l was in the water and
, rapidly descending. l had made up my
mind to give Bill as wide berth as
possible during the day, and began my
labors stripping off the copper from the
wreck we'll aft, while he was amid
ships.
I'VE had been down perhaps half an
hour, and l was commencing to feel q
little more at ease, when all at once
heard a slight tapping on my copper
helmet, and a hand was placed upon my
shoulder. l had been kneeling, but
quickly rose to my feet, and, turning,
saw Bill standing before me; but his
aspect sent a chill to my very heart.
He was extending towards me knife.
the blade of which he touched with one
| finger, and then pointed to my weapon,
which hung in its sheath at my belt
Il comprehended his meaning. II
was challenge to mortal combat. But
what a place for such an encounter!
am ashamed to admit, however, that
after the first brief instant of surprise,
l began to feel an insane desire to over.
come and subdue my rival, even though
| it was III a struggle to the death!
$50, dropping the short iron bar with
which l had been previously working,
drew my knife in turn. On seeing this
move, Bill reached forth one hand and
| grasped mine, which he gave convul.
| sive pressure, and then waved me back
| to prepare for action.
Now began the battle. The thrusts
as you must know, were somewhat i'm
| peded by the pressure of the water, but
| still they were given with sufficient
force, if they had not been skillfully
parted, for any one of them to have
proved fatal. In little while we found
hand grasping the others wrist, while
the knives waved to and fro above on,
helmets.
''Suddenly I began to lose my air,
and was Mortified to see small piece Of
the rubber hose drop down before my
eyes, and knew that Bill had severed
the pi pe-but still at that moment,
remember thinking that it must have
been an accident, as Bill, even in his
| anger, would not take such a mean ad
vantage over his adversary.
''Suffocation quickly followed, buA
before entirely losing consciousness
gave the signal to be drawn to the sur
face, and then knew no more until
found myself lying upon the schooner's
deck, with helmet off, and my head
resting on Bills knee, while the noble
fellow was gently wiping the blood and
foam from my lips and nostrils. He
was dressed just as he had been when
going into the water, barring the re-
moval Of the glass 'face-piece' in his
head-gear.
when opened my eyes and looked
around, saw him wave the rest Of the
chaps aside, and then he bent down unit
the cold copper of his helmet touched
my check, as he whispered: 'Thanl
God, Tom, you're safe. But don't, for the
sake of our old friendship, say a word O.
what's happened to our shipmates
And, oh, if you can, forgive me, your
self.
"Forgive him? Why, bless him, Nv.
loved him since that moment Ani
never from that day to this has thu
affair been spoken of to any one bu
ourselves"
How was it that he cut your hose
willing to take your life, yet still, die
so much to bring you to?" asked tn
captain, lncredulously.
bill was quick tempered, and b,
was in an awful rage. He would no
have hesitated to have thrust his knit
into my heart albeit he would hav,
been sorry for it the next instant, bu
cutting the pipe was an accident-ant
when he saw the terrible death will
which was threatened, his anger dis
appeared like the mists of morning be
fore the gentle sea-breeze. The boys
told me that when / came to the sur
face was' in Bills arms, and it wa
his own hands which unlocked tn,
helmet from the collar and gave MI
air. They also told me that he woult
not stop to his have weights unbuckled
nor his 'head-piece' removed, but jus
knelt down beside me, calling all tn,
while for me to open my eyes, Just a
though l had been q brother"
How about the young woman VIII,
was the cause of oil this trouble
What became of herr" inquired tn,
:csptain, with much interest