Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-07-26
A WRESTLING
MATCH
By EVERETT TwOMHY
Copyright by American Pres 400
citation. iglL
., EVERETT rwoMBlx

| have been a man Of many occupa
lions. though | have had more to do
with the sea than with the land
Once I was owner OF q schooner that
used for pearl diving. my divers b.
ing north African Bedoutns.
Ny working ground was OF the
coast Of Trtpolitania- Pead diving
Il hard hfe. and only tAoss who are
desperate engage in Y The boss y
obliged 70 b very severe with his
workman q they WIN take possession
q him. his ship and everything IN n
1 had one man named Hamed. little
muscular African. black ~ the acs Of
spades. who undertook to master me.
There was trouble. after which had
him arrested and taken into the town
Of Tripoli. and he received full dose
OF bastinndo.
1t was not long after this that one
night. the weather being very hot,
preferred to sleep on deck. l put
down a mattress. but was cooler In
chair All I had on was pair OF
thin pajamas and low shoes. | Lay a
few hours In sleep. awaking about
midnight The men were asleep be-
low. and l was alone on deck. For
an hour caught cat maps from time
to time. not losing myself for more
than ten minutes at once At one Of
these intervals between sleep l saw
round black ball on the gunwale on
the port bow. being starboard amid
ships.
Now. to a half awake sailorman a
black ball on the gunwale Of bis ship
Is curious object l wondered why
1t didn't roll along the incline. In
stead Of doing % 1t rose. looking now
like the round top Of a fencepost.
spreading out below. By this time l
was sufficiently awake to realize that
the object was . black head and
shoulders. blacker for q full moon
that shone behind II.
From this point my faculties came to
me like lightning. have often since
wondered that what for want Of bet
tsr name will call an automatic rea-
soning should have made me prepare
for that which had not thought out
Had I taken the steps to lead up to
that preparation they would have been
a. follows: That Il q Bedouin thief.
who will kill me to enable him to car
~ OF some tribe" In twinkling my
pajamas were lying on the deck.
standing naked In my shoes l knew
that the thief would not be incum-
bered with clothing. and must not
give him this advantage over me
knew that he had swum TO the ship:
therefore II was not likely he would
have any firearms with him. The
struggle would be muscular
| should have cried out and aroused
those below. Strange to say. this did
not occur to me as quickly as the other
points, and when 1t did was too late.
A black naked figure jumped over the
gunwale and darted like lightning to-
ward me When hs reached me the
moonlight flashed on steel blade with
which he struck at me. I caught his
forearm with my fist; but. the arm be-
ing oiled. It slipped through my clutch
to the shoulder. l saved myself from
being stabbed by holding my enemy
Oh from me with my hand under his
arm at the shoulder. The man. wrig-
Cling. was liable at any moment to
free himself. With my other hand
grasped his throat. 1t. too. was oiled.
but clinched 1t long enough to make
the man drop bis knife.
At this moment the rnscars face was
He had not come for plumber; he had
come for revenge. Ny life now de-
pended on my preventing hts getting
the knife. placed myself between
him and II and clinched with him. His
body was oiled all over. and he slipped
a iunge for the knife by darling be-
tween my legs caught an ankle
and held him extended to his full
length. his arms stretched and within
q few inches of the knife. He 1erked
his ankle so that. oiled al It was.
SOdto W. SOuub w AOAhAh8 - sSo8 oAsA
must do something else to thwArt his
purpose. With one hand made a
quick grasp for his shoulder. then with
the other let 60 his ankle and grasped
the other shoulder. falling on him at
the same time
Here were two Of N reaching for
the knife. slid over his oiled surface
and attempted to clutch the weapon.
but Just a. I was getting my fingers on
It he seized my wrist and knocked 1t
farther away.
! bad the advantage Of him. holding
him between me and the deck He
could not easily slide on the latter
having me on his back. but he was so
slippery that found II difficult to
maintain my position on him. Never
theless be endeavored to wriggie to-
ward the knife. He gained some inch
- - Ne hos 4