Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-07-18

beyond endurance, struck out at him
with my clenched fist, catching him
fairly between the eyes, and with such
force that the back of his head cam
noned against the door with a bang
that set all the crockery on board rat
Ting like housewives china closet
after an earthquake shock
To say the SUR flew" during the
next half minute would be-in view of
my unclothed condition-an inaccurate
metaphor; but all know is that I
was for that space Of time as uncer-
tain which of me was and which of
me was he, as If the pair of us had
been a ball of string in the claws of
Kitten For one moment we untangled
ourselves, SO to speak, to get breath;
and well remember with what JOY
caught sight of the livid, ugly lump
between his eyes where / had struck
him. The next instant we were at it
again, rolling over and over upon the
floor like wild cats and striving each
to throttle the life out OF the other.
No one who has not fought for his life
stark naked, as | did then, would be-
lieve how much was handicapped by
the absence of clothing. There is not
much protection, one would think, in
coat, waistcoat and trousers; yet with
out them I felt as a medieval war
rior might without his armour The
very buttons on my enemy's clothing
fought for him. They were like so
many claws that scored and scratched
my skin; and when, while we were
struggling, he got the upper berth, and
knelt over me, with his knee pressed
against my breastbone, felt as If the
chest of me was scarce stronger than
cardboard box. was well-nigh gone
that time, for he reached over and got
such vise-like grip upon my throat
that my eyes stood out on their stalks,
and my tongue was lolling from my
head like a thirsty dogs But If my
lack of clothing disadvantaged me in
one way it advantaged me in another,
for no eel could have been more slip
perry to hold than /. Straining every
sinew in my body in one supreme eff
fort, / managed to roll him off, and
upon his back, and wriggling from his
grasp, I sprang to my feet on the look
out for weapon. He caught at my
legs to throw me, but snatching up the
heavy whisky decanter by the neck,
whirled 1t alcft, and dealt him blow
behind the ear that put an end both to
him and to the fight At first thought
he was only stunned, but when found
beat (and small wonder, for had hit
him with terrific force, and upon
vulnerable spot), stripped him, and,
opening the brown bag. took out the
weighted chain with which he had
meant to sink the body of his victim.
Then / dashed the pair of them-the
man who was to have been murdered
and the man who was to have MUIR
dered him-together, and, passing the
chain around the ankles of both,
made it fast and dragged my double
and CHASTITY burden upon deck, where
1 toppled 1T over into the water.
"And now" said, It'll dress myself
in the clothes of my late antagonist
and go ashore in the dinghy, taking
with me the bag containing his dis
guise. In the pocket of his coat is
paper telling where and when the next
meeting Of the Syndicate of Scoundrels
takes place. What's to hinder me from
going there instead of him? He's my
height, figure and complexion, and,
dressed in his clothes and wearing the
disguise which has been provided for
him, there's no reason why anyone
should suspect / am not he, especially
as know enough of his affairs to give
a very good account of myself and of
to-night's work. Anyhow, danger or
no danger, discovery or no discovery,
when the next meeting of the Syndi-
cate of Scoundrels takes place / shall
be there"
(To Be Continued) ii