The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-04


er taking her eyes of his face.
For answer Louis pulled back sheet
of tarpaulin and there, white and still.
lay Don, his head pillowed on Louis
coat
With a spring like that of a wild an
imal going to the defense of her young.
Nita jumped into the boat, and, taking
Don's head into her lap, began Groom
ing over him and murmuring soft
terms of endearment
wall of sympathy broke from the
crowd, but Nita did not heed it, She
had drawn her shawl around the still
white face in her arms and thus hid
ing out the world, was alone with her
lover.
Several men approached the boat to
help lift Don out. but Louis stayed
them, the tears on his cheeks.
wait till the doctor comes he said.
He amt dead-leastways not quite.
and mebbe she's the best medicine he
But what does it all mean?" the
men cried.
Standing with one foot on the seat
OF the boat, to make a more comfort
able rest for Joe, Louis told his story.
Il was late in getting away on ac-
count of Joe. an 1t was so dark afore
/ came to the grounds that 1 couldn't
tell one boat from another. What Nita
told me had scared me some, so 1 says
to Tom, / guess we won't bother about
fishin until we get alongside o. DOM
So we sailed from light to light. and
every time I'd hail boat it would be
John of Truro or Pedro or anybody
but Don. Tom says to me. Seems
es if there was a light on the star
board ouarter!
II looks and looks, and finally I
makes out that Tom was right and
we steered foI her.
Something told me 1t was Don's
boat and it was just as if voice said
to me, Put out your lights" So
contrary to law. 1 puts out my light
and sails along towards this little green
light. AS l watched. seemed as if she
was pitching strangely for the kind
of weather 1t was. The light was bob
bling round and dancing up and down
most strange
Something's afoot Already I says
to Tom, and we scuds on as fast as
we could make the dory spin. When
we was quite night 1 heard voices.
THE best man gets her, eh?' says
Felipe. and Don gives a loud cry.
"Nital'
"By this time we was close beside
the. boat and I could see two men
struggling and fighting, and / seen the
boats lantern cleaning on a knife that
someone was using pretty free.
Hold on with the boathook,' says
l to Tom, and I'll get aboard an take
a hand
80 we ran alongside and Tom he
grappled the dory with the boathook;
as l sprang aboard my foot slipped
and 1 fell on hands and knees into a
pool of blood
Before l could stand upright there
was splash and I seen Felipe push
ing Don into the water. Then Felipe
began aiming heavy blows at Tom to
make him let go his hold. My boat
hooks short one and as l got to my
feet Felipe reached over with his
cleaning knife and cut Tom across
the hand. With cry the lad let go
and Felipe sprang for the tiller to
swing her round and get out of reach.
I'm the excitement he had not seen
me get aboard. but as he came round
| the mast we met face to face.
I'm a moment he had crouched for
spring, but / had my knife out be-
| fore l came on board and was ready
| for him.
by the light of that lantern we
watched and waited. Might "a been
| for half a minute. Then we sprung
Chance helped me and l caught him
by the wrist and had my knife in him
half a dozen times, but it seemed as
| if 1 couldn't find the right spot.
$50 we wrestled. each holding the
| others knife hand fori full minute,
then remembered the slippery spot
behind me. 1 pretended TO yield a
| little, and got him to pressing me
back until, bit by bit. we had changed
| around completely and he stood where
1 had.
II got my back against the mast and
| pressed and pressed until he was
| obliged to take a step backward. He
stepped in the slippery pool. and as
l had hoped his foot went from under
| him.
when / was sure he couldn't do no
more harm / looked about for Tom
heard cries for help, and steering aft
er them found Tom hanging on the
side of my dory holding up Don.
while I was fighting he saw Don
rise to the surface, and jumped in aft
er him. Poor lad. he was most dead
himself; but he held on to Don till we
got him aboard. and then sailed this
boat home. / couldn't bear to stay
beside Felipe. but Tom said his head
ached him so he didn't care-he'd as
soon sail a dead man as a live one.
I'VE looked Don over. Seemed as
though he's not mortally cut, and he
came back to himself once and spoke
to me.
Now" said Louis resignedly. 81
s'pose I've got to go to Jail; but /
couldn't help myself-it was him or
me-"
And so the jury found it, Twelve
good men and true decided that it was
justifiable homicide; and along about
the end of June Don and Nita were
married, with Louis for best man, and
Tom second best. And half the girls
in the town were willing to mother lit
tie Joe II only Louis would ask them.
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