The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-14
A DIVERS
STORY
By HOWARD c. BEACH

H..
10 emil ones blood. One is up in the
ar uhe other under water.
have never been up In the air hu,
nave been under water many times
am OF, rather. was. a professional
ulVer | didn't ADOPT the calling be-
cause considered ii dangerous. for
"heh properly done diving in armor Is
not dangerous. The same NAV he said
OF aviation. became a diver in order
70 make living. | ceased TO be
ulVeF after receiving shock under
water.
| was hired to 20 down 10 examine
yacht that had been overturned and
sunk IN gale with view to learning
where the chains were To 40 under her
10 lift her | was told that the owner
was scientific man. great student.
an investigated lie had invented a
number OF sc,eutitic devices that had
made him great reputation. The
WreehinS company told me that he was
determined to go down with me. rath-
er for the sensation Of breathing under
water than for being Of service.
When We stood on the wreeklng boat
putting on the divers uniform | east
glance at my diving companion, on
whose head they were about to put
The helmet Why did not then and
there refuse 30 40 down with him
don't know. | suppose it was dis
like to do something unpleasant. Sim
gular that ! should have been willing
to risk a horrible death rather than do
something unpleasant However.
presume il is the same feeling that
0ompCis a man 10 expose himself In
battle To certain death because he Is
expected To do SO.
Mr. Cheney. my diving companion.
Went down by one ladder. | by an.
other some twenty feet distant from
his The water was clear. and the
sun was shining upon it. SO that
/ could see about me to a comparatively
long distance. | kept IN eye on Mr..
] Cheney. who struck the yacht at the
iiOAt. a4tt4N41. f7iif lltiki NNtliNu WI
hcr keel. and her masts were nearly
norpendicullr was about TO drop
over the side TO hunt for place TO
get support under her when my at
.crf'o. ~as attracted to Mr. Cheney.
| Ne bod mounted tho gunwae and
stood with one hand on the ratlincs
/ Then he began To 20 up hand over
| haaI lie STOPPED n short distance
| frum the surface aud began TO drop,
| sliding his hand along the upright
! ropes.
This was certainly not making in
/ vestigations IL seemed 20 me that
he was amusing himself as a child
might do going up and down, being
nearly balanced by the density Of the
water. Not liking his actions, | stood
whore | was, aud when he had gone
up and down few times he let him
self down on the deck and came to
ward me.
! Divers usually carry knife, since
there is probability Of needing one.
At any rate. | had one in a pocket in
my diving suit and Mr.. Cheney had
been provided with one He was
! Obliged 70 move slowly through the
water. aud meanwhile ! was wonder
Ing what his intention was in coming
10 me. As soon rs he reached me he
gave me a push and at the same time
made II grab for my signal line. In the
tussle that followed ! lost it. and he
graSped H.
| would not have believed that 90
much strength and agility could be
utilized under water. My antagonist
got his arms around my body and
! pulling hi, knife from his belt, cut the
rope connecting my waist with the
men above. Then he began to dance
about on the deck, evidently delighted
that he could jump so high and come
down So gently.
was some thirty feet under water
with neither life nor signal line. at the
mercy Of madman. for his actions
confirmed that glitter in his eye had
noticed just before his helmet was pu'
OH. why the others had not noticed II
do not know. except that there ar'
things which. though plain to some
are invisible 10 Others The only artl
clio connecting me with the worlt
above was the air pipe. ! was gettihs
plenty Of air, but the maniac had prov
ed himself stronger than i-probabil
ON account Of his madness-and II M
,nterfered with the supply Of air
would suffocate.
Having danced to his satisfaction
Mr. Cheney started for me again.
could see by the way he held his heac
thar he was observing my air tube z
500 where he could cut IT. for be hei'
his knife still in his hand. EVIDENT!
unite pleased whenever a beam OF sun
lipbt plittered on il through the water
drew nv own knife. determined. !
necessary. to save my life by killin'
him When he came within few lee
of me he jumped and. catching I'M
tuho above my head. severed 1t.
He must have pulled on his sigma
lina for | saw him rise rapidly. Iher
was enough air in my helmet 70 pre-
rent instant suffocation. ! saw abov'
mo one chance for escape, the feet 0
4 - ,.,1 10 ,lnef rover | was Just II