The daily Alaskan., 1917-01-31
A DIVERS STORY
By HOWARD c. BEACH

to chill ones blood. One is up in the air, the other under water.
 I have never been up in the air, but I have been under water many times. I am, or, rather, l was, professional diver. I didn't adopt the calling be- | cause l considered 1t dangerous, for when properly done diving in armOr is not dangerous. The same may be said of aviation. l became diver in order to make a living. l ceased to be a diver after receiving a shock under water.
 was hired to go down to examine a yacht that had been overturned and sunk in a gale with a view to learning where the chains were to go under her to lift her. was told that the owner was a scientific man, q great student, an investigator. He had invented number of scientific devices that had made him a great reputation. The wreckfng company told me that he was determined to go down with me, rath- CT for the sensation of breathing under water than for being of service. When we stood on the wrecking boat putting on the divers uniform cast glance at my diving companion, on whose head they were about to put the helmet. Why I did not then and there refuse to go down with him l don't know. 1 suppose 1t was dis Ike to do something unpleasant Sin gular that I should have been willing to risk a horrible death rather than do | something unpleasant. However, l presume it Is the same feeling that compels a man to expose himself tn battle to certain death because he Is l expected to do so.
 MT. Cheney, my diving companion, went down by one ladder. l by an other some twenty feet distant from his. The water was clear, and the sun was shining upon it, so that l could see about me to comparatively long distance. I kept an eye on MT. Cheney. who struck the yacht at the bow, l amidships. She had settled on her keel, and her masts were nearly | perpendicular. l was about to drop over the side to hunt for place to get a support under her when my at tention was attracted 10 MT. Cheney. He had mouuted the gunwale and stood with one hand on the ratlines. Then he began to go up hand over hand. He stopped short distance from the surface and began to drop, sliding his hand along the upright ropes.
 This was certainly not making in- vestigatiOns. It seemed to 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 where I was, and when he had gone up and down a few times he let him self down on the deck and came to- ward me.
 Divers usually carry knife, since | there Is a probability of needing one. At any rate. l had one in a pocket in my diving suit, and Mir. Cheney had been provided with one. He was obliged to move slowly through the water, and meanwhile was wonder | ing what his intention was in coming | to me. AS soon as he reached me he gave me a push and at the same time made a grab for my signal line. In the tussle that followed l lost it, and he grasped it.
 l would not have believed that so much strength and agility could be l utilized under water. My antagonist got his arms around my body and, pulling his 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.
 I was some thirty feet under water, with neither life nor signal line, at the mercy of a madmau, for his actions 1 confirmed that glitter in his eye had noticed just before his helmet was put on. Why the others had not noticed 1t | 1 do not know, except that there are things which, though plain to soms are invisible to others. The only arti- cle connecting me with the world above was the air pipe. I was getting plenty of air, but the maniac had prov ed himself stronger than I-probably on account of his madness-and if be interfered with the supply of air l would suffocatc.
 Having danced to his satisfaction, Mir Cheney started for ne again. I l could see by the way he held his head that he was observing my air tube to see where he could cut 1t, for he held his knife still in his hand. evidently quite pleased whenever a beam of sum- light glittered on it through the water. I drew my own knife. determined, if necessary. to save my life by killing him. When he came within few feet of me he jumped and, catching the tube above my head, severed 1t.
 He must have pulled on his signal c. r t,s ,.;s ,,SI1y- frhnro