Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-08-17
A ING
MATCH
BY EVERETT O
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.
BY R TWoMBLY

l have been a man of many occupa-
tons, though l have had more to do
with the sea than with the land.
Once l was owner Of a schooner that
I used for pearl diving. my divers be-
ing north African Bedouins.
My working ground vas of the
coast Of Tripolitania. Pearl diving
is a hard life. and only those who are
desperate engage in II. The boss is
obliged to be very evere with his
workmen or they will take possession
Of him. his ship and everything in it.
I had one man named Hamed, a little
muscular African. black as the ace of
spades, who undertook to master me.
There was trouble, after which I had
him arrested and taken into the town
of Tripoli. and he received a full dose
Of bastinado.
1t was not long after this that one
night. the weather being very hot. l
preferred to sleep on deck. l put
down a mattress. but l was cooler in
a chair. All l had on was a pair Of
thin pajamas and low shoes. l lay a
few hours in sleep. awaking about
midnight. The men were asleep be-
low. and I was alone on deck. For
an hour I caught cat maps from time
to time. not losing myself for more
than ten minutes at once. At one of
these intervals between sleep 1 saw a
round black ball on the gunwale on
the port bow, 1 being starboard amid
ships.
Now. to a half awake sailorman a
black ball on the gunwale Of his ship
Is a curious object. l wondered why
1t didn't roll along the incline. In
stead Of doing so it 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 a black head and
shoulders. blacker for u full noon
that shone behind 1t.
From this point my faculties came to
me like lightning. I have often since
wondered that what for want of a bet
ter name l will call an automatic rea-
soning should have made me prepare
for that which I had not thought out
Had I taken the steps to lead up to
that preparation they would have been
as follows: THAT is a Redouin thief.
who will kill me to enable him to car.
~ off some trife." In a %twinkling my
pajamas we're lying on the deck. l
standing naked in my shoes. I knew
that the thief would not be incum-
bered with clothing. and I must not
give him this advantage over me. I
knew that he had swum to the ship;
therefore it was not likely he would
have any firearms with him. The
struggle would be muscular.
l 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 it did ! was too late.
A black naked figure jumped over the
gunwale and darted like lightning to-
ward me. When he reached me the
moonlight flashed on a 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
off 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 I
graSIed his throat. It. too. was oiled.
but l clinched it long enough to make
the la drop his knife.
At this moment the rascal's face was
to the Dor and ! recognized Hamed.
He had not come for plumber: he had
come for revenge. Ny life now de.
pended on my preventing his getting
the knife. | placed myself between
him and it and clinched with him His
body was oiled all over. and he slipped
through my arms like an eel and made
a lunge' for the knife by darting 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 jerked
his ankle so that. oiled as it was. |
could not count on holding it long and
must do something else to thwart his
purpose. With one hand | made a
quick grasp for his shoulder. then with
the other let go his ankle and grasped
the other shoulder. falling on him at
the same time.
Here were two Of us reaching for
the knife. l slid over his oiled surface
and attempted to clutch the weapon,
but just as l was getting my fingers on
it he seized my wrist and knocked it
farther away.
l had 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 it difficult to
maintain my position on him. Never.
theless he ~endeavored to wriggle to
ward the knife. He gained some incl
es and was about to grasp it when !
knocked it farther away.
now determined to risk all on one
| rr1icly ronuo D11ffinr a hand On oaoh