Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-03-12
drawing her toward me, kissed her

drawing her toward me, kissed her
passionate ly. .5
Keep life and courage for our boys
sake, whatever comes" I said, and
took my baby in my arms; his soft
grasp neryed me like the touch of steel.
looked about eslike one who looks
his last. Still the same calm and the
same unaccountable movement Of
the water, only that itseemed to have
Increased. went below, and OH some
pretense sent for Griggs. He came,
but at the first glance at my face, drew
back. Too late. The d DOR was double
locked, and my pistol at his temple.
"Mutiny and murder, " I said to him.
HHow long do you deserve to live?
What is it for?" .-5:
He answered me by a name; Pierce
Armitage." Then. appeal would be
useless. Shoot" he said defantly.
II shall be avenged. I've breathed
hell into your crew. Heaven itself
can't save you.
I shuddered! "Whateyer comes, I
deny your blasphemy," l said. At a
signal Keefe sprang out. Griggs, Or:
Armitage, was ironed, gagged, and laid
upon the cabin floor Then, double
locking the cabin door behind us, we
went upon the deck. There l called
the crew together.
MY men," said, "what fault have
you to find with your captain?"
They looked at me, and at one
another.
eve have spoken none," answered
an Italian in his soft broken English.
'*Not to- me-" I answered, "but
worse than that, among yourselves
and to my mate. You should have
come to me with your grievances. /
am here now to remedy them if you
will tell me what they are. How is it.
with you, Gustave Doneldorf?" I ask
I'D stalwart Swede, whom a mo-
ment before l had seen on
my left hand. he had disap-
peared, and another botn companion
with him. was startled. But the
Keys ofmy cabin were safe in my peck
ct and l went ON talking to the men,
hoping to pass the fatal hour and to
gain at least some adherents. Some
ofthe men listened to me, but all were
evidently III expectation of the leader,
who could not come. saw and heard
everything, and noticed that the waves
were higher. talked on, and the men
stood more in bewilderment than at
tention. What was to have been my
death hour was beginning to go by,
and no blow had been struck III spite
OF lowering chances had begun to hope,
when suddenly / saw Gustave Donel-
dorf and his companion in their places
again, and IN another moment there
sounded rushing footsteps, and Armi-
tage sprang upon deck, pistol in hand
rushed up to the sailors, and began in
English and snatches of their own
tongue to berate them for cowardice.
Why he did not kill me Instantly, l
can't tell; perhaps he meant to feed
me first with horror, being sure OF me,
for the men responded to him like a
trigger to the hands that pulls it. My
boy ran to me.
"Shoot the brat first" shouted
Armitage. l took aim at him and
fired, but my ball went wide it's mark.
For the ship at the instant rose upon
great wave, and as she plunged
downward there was a cry from many
throats. turned. A mountain OF
water was upon us.
'.Reef sail! Down hatches!" Ishout-
ed, as at look from me Keefe
snatched my wife and child toward
the cabin. In the common danger the
mutineers forgot themselves in being
sailors, and as ii life hung on my words
my orders were executed with magic
speed. 1t was none too soon. The
cabin door was barely closed when
the trlghtful wave was upon us. We
threw ourselves upon the deck, faces
downward, and hands grasping at
whatever gave any promise Of hold
ing firm. All but Griggs, who thrust
one arm through q coil OF rope about
the mast, and stood, pistol in hand,
ready for fatal aim at me should there
be an instant OF stiffness. He had re-
solved that in any case I should not
escape him. Our last glance showed
this before the ship seemed to rise
erect upon her stern, to poise herself
III mid-air, and to plunge down un-
fashionable depths. Araging cataract
swept over us, it roared in our ears,
drenched and deafened us. beat us
against the deck, and almost swept
us from the supports to which we
chung. THE vessel shook like leaf in
the whirlwind, staggered and plunged
until l thought she was going straight
to the bottom. Then as the deluge
rolled off fronsthe deck and we sprang
to our feet, saw an awe-struck look
on the faces of the sailors. and follow
ing their glances, perceived that Arm
ltage's place was vacant.
Had Heaven interfered in nv behalf?
How could I dare to say so? All that
/ can affirm is that at the moment OF
my extremity a tidal wave on it's way
across the ocean had swept my first
mate into the sea. The sailors, how
ever, had no doubt. To their super
stitions Heaven had fought for me, and
they respected me accordingly.
''It is a strange story" said the cap
tain as he finished, ''but if you want
something rational and probable,ju just
get somebody to make it up for YOU"
Unnecessary Work.
A lady who is convinced that at
least one-quarter OF the work done by