Show I r A A DUEL UNDER VATER S THE DIVERS DIVER'S STOR STORY S S It was way ba bask back k in 05 when DIll Bill nn and 11 I I. working together on a wreck just inside of Chesapeake enke Day Bay between Cape Henry Light and Hampton Hamp ton Road Roads We had comedown from New York and were pretty spruce young chaps in those days Now it seemed a although al though neither one ono of us knew lenew it that wo we were both thinking considerable of tho the same girl We Wo h had d been aboard of oa fi lIo wrecking reeking schooner about tho size of this one for nearly two weeks when one Sunday I was overhauling my things in the and was just taking out a n. picture of the tho little one that Id I'd left up uI home Bill Dill came along and looking over my any shoulder says says- Hullo hub chum Who have YO you got Ot there Says I as ns honest as could be handing him the picture the woman I hope will be my w wife ife some day wife wifel says he heas as he took tho photograph My Iy stars That's Nancy Stewart and glancing up tip I saw Bill staring ng at the picture victuro with his face faco as white as a n. new top sl Then rhen thrusting the likeness into his pocket he hissed his clenched teeth No o Tom Baxter She Sue will never be your jour wife and turning ho sprang up the tho steps out of the b before fore I 1 could stop himAs him himAs himAs As you may imagine I was boiling mad and surprised as aR well I followed follow follow- ed Bill on deck and saw paw him sitting on a n. water cask with both hands up to his face I approached him and touching him on the shoulder I asked as gently as I could for the return of the picture As he looked up to me the expression sion sian of his countenance was that of a a. maniac his features were were distorted with either anger or anguish I know not which 1 Come come I said after a pause during which my chum glared vacantly vacant vacant- ly at me inc Give me mo back the photo graph S Tue rile answer I 1 received was a blow and down n I went as though shot with wilh Bill Dill on tOp I was considerably stronger than he lie in those days and soon got the best of the affair I held lucid Bill down on deck eck with one hand at athis bi his bin throat and with the other pulled the picture from his pocket but butin in so sou u h s t Iii In twO IwO a only secured one one half At this instant our shipmates separated us nt and d for the rest of that day we avoided each other as much as possible One Monday morning as we were dressing ourselves side by side as usual ready to po JO down to work I could hear Bill muttering under his breath and just as his tender was screwing on the piece face-piece to his bis helmet helmet hel hel- hel met I caught a n. most malignant look upon his features but he uttered no throats aloud My 1 companion had scarcely reached the bottom ere ore I was in the water and rapidly descending I had made up my mind to give ghe Bill BiH as wide a berth as possible during the day clay and began my labors stripping off of the copper from the wreck well aft while he was amidships S We tWe had been down own perhaps half an hour and I was commencing to feel a little more at ease when 1 I heard a slight tapping on my copper helmet and a hand was placed on oma my shou der I had been Kneeling b but t quickly rose to my feet and turning saw Bill Dill standing before belore me his aspect sent a n achill achill chill to my very heart He lIe was extending ex cx- tending towards me a knife the blade of which with one finger and then pointed to my nuy wt weapon apon which hung in its sheath at my mv belt I 1 comprehended his meaning ing It was a challenge to mortal combat But ut what a n. place for such an 1111 encounter er en I am nm ashamed to admit however that after tho the first brief instant of surprise I began t to feel an insane desire desire de de- de sire sire to overcome o. and subdue my rival even though it was in a struggle to the death So ISo dropping the short iron bar with which I had been previously working I drew my knife in turn On seeing this move Bill Dill reached forth on one hand and grasped p mine which he ho gave MO a convulsive pressure and then waved me back to prepare for action Now began the battle The Thu thrusts as you yon must know were somewhat impeded by the pressure of oft oftie t tie e water but still till they were given with force if they had not been skillfully parried for any one of them to have llave proved fatal fata In a little while hile we wa found ourselves locked c With ch with his left hand grasping theother's theother's the others other's wrist while the tho knives waved to and fro above our helmets Suddenly I be began an to lose my air and was horrified to see a n small piece of the ru rubber ber hose drop deop down before my eyes an and I knew that hut Bill had se severed se ered the l pipe but pipe but still at that moment mo moo- ment I remember thinking it must have been an accident as Bill Jill even in anger would not take tako such a n. mean advantage nd oyer ver ins his adversary Suffocation quickly follow followed bu t be fore gave the Bi signal to be drawn to the surface and then I knew no more until I If f found deck w with th helmet t off and my any head resting on Bills Bill's k knee ee who was wiping g gJ c J od and loath foam from my lips lip and f ta 18 s. s He ire was dressed just 1 I. I l g. g rr going into the ring It Ot noval of the glass piece face in S SI d hen I J opened my eyes and anti looked elt und I saw him wave wate ate the tho rest of o c e down the cold copper of his helmet t. t J ctr d my cheek check as he lie whispered God Tom Torn youre you're safe But 11 their ipa f r the bo sa sake sako of our friendship 5 J rd of what's happened to our Js s s. s And Andoh oh if you can for for- fort 5 t S. S give e him him Why bless him Ivo i him since that moment And ii S i from that day to this has bas the I C t. t I p- p affair been spoken of to anyone but ourselves ves How was it that he cut your hose willing to take your life yet still did so much to bring you to asked tho the captain incredulously Bill Dill was tempered quick-tempered and ho was in an awful rage He lIe would not have hesitated to have thrust his knife into my heart albeit he would have been sorry sorry for it the tho next instant instant in in- in stant but c cutting the pipe was an accident ac ac- ac and and when he saw the terrible death de nth with which I was threatened bis anger anjer disappeared like the mists of morning before the tho gentle sea seabreeze The boys told me that when I came cameto cameto cameto to the surface I was in Bills Bill's arms and it was Vas hi his hili own hands which unlocked unlocked un locked the helmet from the collar and gave me Air lir The They also told me that he would not stop to have his weights unbuckled nor nor his headpiece headpiece head piece removed but just knelt down beside me calling all the while for me meto meto meto to open my eyes just as though I Iwas Iwas Iwas was his brother How flow about the young youn woman who was the cause of all this trouble What of her inquired the captain with much interest 0 Nancy Poor girl said Tom Why she ahe didn't care nothing for either of us two fools All the time we were thinking that we 0 might prevail prevail pre pre- vail yail upon her to cruise in our company com corn pany she he had agreed to sign articles with a young mate of an East In In- diaman So when we found that out wo we both of us took a job which lasted about two years down in Key West But when we got back we heard that Nancy had been a 80 bd bride e a mother and was then a n. widow the poor chap chat whom she phe married having been lost at seaon his very next voya voyage eThen e. e Then Bill Dill and I hunted her up and when v we e found her we adopted her for our sister We Ve came out put here hereto hereto hereto to Frisco where business is better than on the tho Atlantic coast and she came too and weve we've looked after her ever since bince Her child Did it live inquired the tho captain interestedly Well I reckon it did it was alive a It couple of hours ago when I saw it going over the rail yonder with a months month's pay in his I pocket to gladden a 1 mothers mother's heart replied the old driver with a quiet chuckle What Do you YOl mean that Neddy your tender is is Nancys Nancy's boy just about the tho size sizo size of it And hos ho's a n. boy that no w woODin WOe wo- oman o- o man ODin need be bo ashamed of either and if his mother will rill wi let the tho lad follow the business into which hes he's started started- and that's what Bill Di has gone up to the house honse to find out out ill out Il Ill I'll wager my gear ear and dress ress' that within there wont won't be a diver on the Paci Pacific fe coast who v will wi dip deeper or work under water than the same saro bo boy I S But Nancy asked the captain Will Wi ill she never marry mrry Hush lush exclaimed the diver in n. n low Jow voke voie Not ot until Bill Bil or I have sounded for tho tho last time and been laid aw away ay in our armor Then perhaps she li might ht |