Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-08-07

this instant out shipmates separated us,
and for the rest of that day we avoided
each other as much as possible.
'On Monday morning, as we were
dressing ourselves side by side, as usual,
ready to go 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 most ma
lgnant look upon his features, but he ut
tered no threats aloud.
"My companion had scarcely reached
the bottom ere I was in the water and
rapidly descending. | had made up my
mind to give Bill as wide berth as pos
sible during the day and began my la
bors, stripping off the copper from the
wreck well aft, while he was amidships.
1--WE had been down perhaps half an
hour and l was commencing to feel a
little more at ease when all at once /
heard slight tapping on my copper he'll
met, and hand was placed upon my
shoulder / had been kneeling, but quick
ly rose to my feet and, turning, saw Bill
standing before me, but his aspect sent
chill to my very heart. He was extend
ing toward 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.
81 comprehended his meaning. 1t was
a challenge to mortal combat. But what
a place for such an encounter! / am
ashamed to admit, however, that after
the brief first instant of surprise | began
to feel an insane desire to overcome and
subdue my rival. even though it was in
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 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 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 and
was Mortified to see small piece of the
rubber hose drop down before my eyes,
and | knew that Bill had severed the
pipe. But still at that moment remem-
accident. as Bill, even in his anger, would
not take such a mean advantage over his
adversary.
"Suffocation quickly followed, but be-
fore entirely losing consciousness l gave
the signal to be drawn to the surface,
and then | knew no more until | found
myself lying upon the schooner's deck,
with helmet off and my head resting on
Bills knee. wiping the blood and foam
from my nostrils. He was dressed just
as he had been when going into the wa
ter, barring the removal of the glass face
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 IN
til the cold copper of his helmet touched
my cheek as he whispered: Thank God,
Tom, you're safe. But don't. for the
sake of our friendship, say a word of
what's happened to our shpmates. And,
oh, if you can forgive me yourselfp
"Forgive him? Why, bless him, I've
loved him since that moment. And never
from that day to this has the affair been
| spoken of to any one but ourselves"
"How was it that he cut your hose,
willing to take your life, yet still did so
much to bring you to?" asked the cap
tain incredulously.
"Bill was quick tempered, and he was
| in an awful rage. He would not have
hesitated to have thrust his knife into
my heart, albeit he would have been
sorry for it the next instant, but cutting
the pipe was an accident, and when he
saw the terrible death with which l was
threatened his anger disappeared like the
n,ists of morning before the gentle sea
breeze. The boys told me that when |
catne to the surface ! was in Bills arms.
and it was his own hands which unlocked
the helmet from the collar and gave me
air. They also told me that he would not
stop to have his weights unbuckled nor
his 'headpiece' removed, but just knelt
down beside me. calling all the while for
me to open my eyes, just as though had
been brother"
/ How about the young woman who
! was the cause of all this trouble? What
became of her?" inquired the captain
with much interest.
j "Oh. Nancy? Poor girlp' said Tom.
"Why, she didn't care nothing for either
of us two fools. All the time we were
thinking that we might prevail upon her
4 to cruise in our company she had agreed
to sign articles with young mate of an
/ East Indiaman. So when we found that
4 out we both of us took a job which lasted
| us about two years down in Key West.
But when we got back we heard that
Nancy had been bride, a mother and
was then a widow, the poor chap whom
she married having been lost at sea on
his very next voyage.
"Then Bill and | hunted her up. and
when we found her we adopted her for
our sister, We came out here to Frisco,
where business is better than on the At
lantic coast. and she came, too, and we've
| looked after her ever since"
"Her child? Did it live" inquired the
captain interestedly.
"Well, / reckon it did. Leastwise it
was alive a couple of hours ago when 1
saw it going over the rail yonder with
months pay in its pocket to gladden. a
mothers heart" replied the old diver,
with a quiet chuckle.
"What! Do you mean that Neddy,
your tender is Nancy's boy?
"rhat's lust about the size of 1t, cap'n.