The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-02-17

ing ABOUT tnlngs generally for few
minutes, Pete said
"'Now. young fellow, l know that
you don't like it aboard this ship. No
more do we. You're always getting
knocked about by the mates and 1 don't
see how you stand it. Now, if you had
a chance to get ashore at Rio Janeiro,
you wouldn't throw it away2 Wages is
good in the high country. A smart young
fellow like you could get a job on some
ranch, and make a fortune in few
years.
"I wouldn't like anything better,
said ], but l can't get ashore. The
captain amt going to put into Rio, after
all
" But we'll fix that, my lad, if you'll
go in with us, said Pete.
" ou don't mean to mutinyP asked,
starting back in alarm.
"'No, no mutiny, replied Pete, that
10, not the bad kind of mutiny. But we
can't stand it on this boat any longer,
and what we want to do is to get into
Rio, and we can do it without hurting
anybody or robbing anybody. A few
minutes afore eight bells the second mate
will go into his stateroom for to write it
In his log book. You know he always
does that before eight bells instead Of
waiting until after the watches are
changed, as he ought to do. Then all
we've got to do is to fasten the forward
cabin doors on him. At the same time
the man at the wheel will Just fasten
the door of the fter-companionway
Then we'll nail up the window shutters
all around the cabin on the outside, and
we'll have all the cabin people tight
without having so much as struck one of
them
'And what thenp asked.
Why, then, said he, Il know
enough about navigation to take the
ship into the harbor of Rio. There are
twelve of us beside you, and the cook
will work with us. We can get along
without the captain, the two mates. the
carpenter and the steward. They'll be
locked up in the cabin, where they'll find
plenty to eat and drink. Wen manage
to strike the harbor along in the evening.
Then we let go the anchor and take a
few of our clothes and row ashore. We
leave the boat at a landing and go to a
boarding house keeper that l know
who'll keep us till we get a chance to
run up into the high country, where we
can get jobs on ranches
But how about the shipY asked
eagerly. l was trying to persuade my
self that there was nothing wrong about
Pete's plan.
"Why, the ship is seen next morning.
he replied, and plenty of boats comes
alongside. They find them all safe and
sound in the cabin Nobodv's hurt and
nobody's robbed, for don't we leave our
chests and nearly a months wages on
board2 And amt the boat found at the
landing2 Then the captain ships a new
crew and goes on around the Horn. Come,
my lad, tell us, are you with us7"
81 wanted badly to get ashore, so, as
usual, without stopping to think of con-
sequences, l told Pete that would stand
by him. Another sailor who was stand
ing near us and who had heard me give
my decision then came up to Pete and
said:
Don't you think as how the lad
ought to do it? He's light of foot and
wouldn't stumble and wake them, like
one of the lubbers probably would
Pete seemed to reflect for moment.
Then he turned to me and said You
see, though we don't want to hurt no
body in the cabin, we amt so sure that
nobody in the cabin wouldn't hurt us if
they got a chance. Now, the mate, he's
got pistol. He keeps it in the drawer
right under his bunk, and that drawer
is nearly always part open, so the cook
says, and he's been in there. The
second mate don't keep no pistol; no
more does the steward nor the carpenter.
But the captain keeps two pistols. They
are right in the drawer of the table in
the after cabin, and the drawer isn't
locked, so the cook says, and he's been
in there Mind, don't ask you to steal
those pistols. We only want to get
them away from the cabin folks, who
might do some harm with them. Well
never use the pistols. Wen put them
in the cooks storeroom, where they'll
find them quick enough If it wasn't
stealing, we'd Just chuck those pistols /.
overboard.
GAS usual, did not stop to reflect. / /
volunteered to secure the three pistols .
and was slapped on the back and told .
that l was a brave lad. / had on several .
occasions, while at work, peeped through .
the after cabin window, and had seen
the table in the drawer of which were
the two pistols. The captains state
room opened off of the after cabin so
that there was some danger of waking
the skipper, but this did not frighten
me out of undertaking the adventure.
1t was agreed that | should go into the
cabin and secure the pistols at seven
bells, if the second mate was then aft,
as he was pretty sure to be. At length
seven bells struck aft, and were repeated
by the lookout forward. The second
mate was standing aft by the wheel. and
the coast was clear / stole through the
port cabin door and went into the state
room of the mate, who had left his door
half open. lie was snoring heavily Be-
meath the bunk found drawer, partly
omen / stuck in nv hand and after a