The Lamar register., 1892-02-27
A DUEL UNDER WATER.
rnE DIVERS STORY.

wreck Just inside of Chesapeake Bay,
between Cape Henry Light and Hamp-
ton Roads.
I'VE had come down from New York
and were pretty spruce young chaps
in those days. Now it seemed, al
though neither one OF us knew it, that
we were both thinking considerable of
the same girl. We had been aboard
OF a wrecking schooner about the size
of this one for nearly two weeks, when
one Sunday ! was overhauling my
things in the forecas'lC, and was Just
taking out picture of the little one
that I'd left up home. Bill came
along, and. looking over my shoulder,
says: "Hullo, chum Who have you
got there'"
Says /, as honest as could be,
handing him the picture; That's the
woman hope will be my wife some
day
'''Your WIFE says he, rs he took the
photograph. My starsl That's Nancy
Stewart and, ginncing up, saw Bill
staring at the picture with his face as
white as a new gafi-top-sl. Then
thrusting the likeness into his pocket,
he hissed through his clenched teet h:
NO. Tom Baxter, She will never be
your wife and, turning. he sprang up
the steps out OF the torecas'le before /
could stop him.
'4As you may imagine, ] was boiling
mad. and surprised a. well. follow
ed Bill on deck. and saw him sitting
on a water-cnsk with both hands up
to his face. approached him. and,
touching him on the shoulder, asked
IA ecntly as could for the return OF
the picture.
AS he looked up TO me the express
zion Of his eountenance was that of a
maniac; his features were distorted
with either anger or anguish, | know
not which.
." Come, come I said, after n pause,
during which my ehum elared vacant
ly at me. Give me back the photo
graph
The answer / received was blow,
and down went rs though shot, with
Bill on top. | was considerably
stronger than he in those days, and
soon cot the best OF the affair. held
his throat, and with the other pulled
doing 1t Was torn in two, and | only
sccurel3 5nc-hhli. At this instant our
shipmates separated us, and for the
rest OF that day we avoided each
other as much As possible.
"One Monday morning. as we were
dressing ourselves side by side as
II a % 7
could hear Bill mutterinr under his
breath, and just as his tender was
screwing on the ince-piece to his he'll
me. / caught n most malignant look
upon his features, but he uttered no
threats aloud.
MY companion had scarcely
reached the bottom ere | was in the
water and rapidly descending. /
had made up my mind 10 give Bill rs
wide berth as possible during the
day. and began my labors. stripping
of the copper from the wreck well ait,
while he was amidships.
I'VE had been down perhaps half an
hour, and / was commencing TO ieel
little more at ease, when | heard
slight tapping on my copper helmet,
and a hand was placed on my shoul-
4
rose to my feet, and turning. saw Bill
standing before me; his aspect sent
chill TO my very heart He was eN-
tending towards me n knife, the blade
of which he--touched with one finger,
and then pointed to my weapon,
which hung in its sheath at my belt.
II comprehended his meaning. 1t
was n challenge to mortal combat.
IL To- IA ~
erl ! am ashamed to admit, however,
that after the first brief instant of
surprise began to feel an insane de-
sire to overcome and subdue my rival,
even though it was in n struggle TO
the death.
$50, dropping the short iron bar
with which / had been previously
working, drew my knife in turn. On
seeing this move, Bill reached forth
one hand and grasped mine, which he
gave "A convulsive pressure, and then
waved me back to prepare tor action.
Now began the battle. The
thrusts, as you must know, were
somewhat impeded by the pressure OF
the water, but still they were given
with sufficient force, if they had not
been skillfully parried, for any one OF
them to have proved fatal. In a
little while we found ourselves locked;
zach with his left hand grasping the
others wrist, while the knives waved
to and fro above our helmets.
Suddenly ! began to lose my air,
and was horriied to see a small piece
OF the rubber hose drop down before
my eyes, and knew that Bill had
severed the pipe-but still at that mo-
ment | remember thinking 1t must
have been an accident, as Bill, even IN
anger, would not take such q mean
advantage oyer his adversary.
"Suffocation quickly followed, but be-
fore entirely losing ngconsciousness lgnve
the signal to be drawn to the surface
and then / knew no more until
found myself lying upon the schooner $
deck, with helmet off, and my head
resting on Bills knee, who was wiping
the blood and foam from my lips and
nostrils. He was dressed just as he had
been wheng going into the water, barring
the removal ofthe glass 'tace-piece' in
his headgear. :,
"When opened my eyes and looked
around, / saw him wave the rest OF
the chaps aside, and then he bent down
until the cold copper OF his helmet