Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1911-12-28
A WRESTLING
MATCH
By EVERETT TWOMBLY
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1871.

Once was owner OF u schooner that
4 used for pearl diving my divers be-
ing north African Bedouins.
My working ground was of the
coast OF Tripolitania. Pearl diving
is hard life. and only those who are
desperate engage in it. The boss is
Obliged TO he very severe with his
wurkmen or they will take possession
OF him, his ship and everything in it.
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 had
MN arrested and taken into the town
ul rripoli. and he received a full dose
ul bastinado
Il was not long after this that one
night. the weather being very hot,
preferred to sleep on deck. put
down n mattress. but | was cooler in
cnHir All | had on was a pair of
| hin paiamas and low shoes. lay
Few hours in sleep, awaking about
| midnight The men were asleep be-
ivy and ! was alone on deck. For
an nour caught cat maps from time
10 time. not losing myself for more
| than ten minutes at once. At one OF
| these intervals between sleep saw a
| round black ball on the gunwale on
! the port low. being starboard amid
! ships
Now. to q half awake sailorman a
black ball on the gunwale of his ship
rs curious object 1 wondered why
II didn't roll along the incline. In
stead of doing so IL rose, looking now
! like tue round top of fencepost,
! >ureHdilg ont below. BY this time
! &oS sufficiently awake to realize that
rnr Object was black bead and
| shoulders hfacker for a full moon
tAlr shoue behind IT,
From this point my faculties came TO
ne ike lightning have often since
wondered that what for want of bet
J-r name viii call an automatic rea-
Su,ine should have made me prepare
tor that witch had not thought out.
| Had | taken the steps to lead up TO
| hutt III Nitli o. ibB AItg NOhlu VA We bttb
as folln,vs THAT is a Bedouin thief,
! who viii kill me to enable him TO car
~ OF some trihe In a twinkling my
'9;ama> were lying on the deck,
>trndna naked in my shoes knew
J nut thc MET would not be- incum
upfec with clothing and ! must not
GIVE MIN his advantage over me
GupW lhat ne had swum TO the ship;
therefore il was NOT likely he would
nave any frenrms with him The
struggle would he muscular
should have cried ont and aroused
those below Strange 10 say. this did
moi occur To me as quickly as taa other
points. and when it did ! was too late
| black naked figure jumped over The
| gunwale and DARED like lightning to-
ward me When he reached me the
moonlight flashed on steel blade with
which be struck at me | caught his
forearm with my fist but. the arm be
ing oiled il slipped through my clutch
70 he shoulder. | saved myself from
being stabbed by holding my enemy
of from me with my hand under his
arm Mt the shoulder The man. wrig.
CLING was liable at any moment to
free himself With my other hand
grsped his throat 1t, too. was oiled,
bu / cl!nched it long enough to make
the man drop his knife.
~ this moment the rascars face was
| 10 the moon, aud recognized Hamed
he had not come for plunder; he had
come for revenge, My life now de
pended on my preventing his getting
the knife placed myself between
hin and it and cinched with him. His
body was oiled all over, and he slipped
through my arms like an eel and made
| a .unge for the knife by darting be-
| tween my legs caught an ankle
| ana held him extended TO his full
| length. his arms stretched and within
a few inchcs of the knife He jerked
mis- ankle SO that oiled as it was.
| could not count on holding 1t long and
must DO something else to thwart his
| purpose. With one hand made a
! quick grasp for his shoulder. then with
! be other ie1 20 his ankle and grasped
the orhpr shoulder falling on him at
he me time
Here were two OF us reaching for
,nr knife slid over his oiled surface
md attempted to clutch the weapon.
ult igst uS . was getting my fingers On
% n- ~otl-I my wrist and knocked II
frrluer away.
tad thu advantage Of him, holding
atm between me and the deck lie
uua not easily slide on the latter
navng me on his back. but ne was so
slippery mat | found it difficult TO
maintain u,y position on him Never
,HrleSS De- underworld 60 wrigcle to.
ward the suife He gained some inch.
aS und was about to grasp it when
shocked IL further away
now determined 10 risk AN on one
quick move Putting q hand on each
OF his shoulders for leverage I gave
a tremendous pun. shooting my head
ana shoulders beyond the glitterinc
blade Feeling il under my chest {
grasped Il. and the victory was mine
In an insi@$t my enemy slipped from
un1er my Tac~s orhea ou5 ran Tho "a