The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-02-27
A DUEL UNDER WATER.
THE DIVERS STORY.

THE DIVERS STORY.
at was way back in '65, when Bill
and / were working together on a
wreck just inside OF Chesapeake Bay,
between Cape Henry Light and Hamp-
ton Roads.
1--WE had come down from New York
and were pretty spruce young chaps
in those days. Now it seemed, oil
though neither one of us knew it, that
we were both thinking considerable of
the same girl. We had been aboard
OF wrecking schooner about the size
of this one for nearly two weeks, when
one Sunday ! was overhauling my
things in the forecas'le, and was just
taking out a 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?D ~
"Says I, as honest as could be,
handing him the picture; That's the
woman hope will be my wife some
day
"'Yonr wife' says he, as he took the
photograph. My stars! That's Nancy
Stewart! and, glancing up, saw Bill
staring at the picture with his face as
white as new gaff-top-s'l. Then
thrusting the likeness into his pocket,
he Kissed through his clenched teeth:
No, Tom Baxter! She will never be
your wifel' and, turning, he sprang up
the steps out of the forecasle before
could stop him.
"As you may imagine, was boiling
mad, and surprised as well. Hollow
cd 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, l asked
as gently as l could for the return of
the picture.
"As he looked up to me the express
sion OF his countenance was that OF q
maniac; his features were distorted
with either anger or anguish, know
not which.
"'Come, come I said, after a pause,
during which my chum glared vacant
ly at me. Give me back the photo
graph
"The answer received was blow,
and down went as though shot, with
Bill on top. l 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 so
doing 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 much as possible.
zone Monday morning, as we were
dressing ourselves side by side as
usual, ready to go down to work, l
could hear Bill muttering under his
breath, and just as his tender was
screwing on the face-piece to his he'll
met i caught 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. l
had made up my mind to give Bill as
wide berth as possible during the
day. and began my labors, stripping
of the copper from the wreck well aft,
Wnlle ne was am1uSnlpS.
eve had been down perhaps half an
hour, and was commencing to feel a
little more at ease, when l heard a
slight tapping on my copper helmet,
and hand was placed on my shout
der. had been kneeling, but quickly
rose to my feet, and turning, saw Bill
standing before me; his aspect sent a
chill to my very heart. He was ex-
tending towards me a knife, the blade
OF which hesstouched with one finger,
and then pointed to my weapon,
which hung in it's sheath at my belt.
IL comprehended his meaning. 1t
was challenge to mortal combat.
But what place for such an encount-
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 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 be
gave q convulsive pressure, and then
WovosA ihO OdSh w PhOResi y W. esNo.OAA'
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, II they had not
been skillfuIly parried, for any one OF
them to have proved fatal. In q
| little while we found ourselves locked;
each with his left hand grasping the
Others wrist, while the knives waved
to and fro above our helmets.
Suddenly began to lose my air,
land was Mortified to see q small piece
|of the rubber hose drop down before
|pny eyes, and ! knew that Bill had
|severed the pipe-but still at that mo-
ment / remember thinking it must
have been an accident, as Bill, even in
LANCER, would not take such q mean
advantage oyer his adversary.
"Suffocation quickly followed, but be-
fore entirely losing consciousness Igave
the signal to be drawn to the surface
land then / knew no more until
found myself lying upon the schooner's
Heck, with helmet of, and my head
Nesting on Bills knee, who was wiping