Wichita eagle., 1889-09-01

fair with gentle northerly breezes for in cast
Of storm there would have been great dan
| ger, with such crew on Soaro, of going tc
the bottom. As it was, the officers worried
along, encouraging the willing, ignoring w
insolent, and, at times, even taking from he
| cessity a hand in the manual labor them
| selves
If this condition of affairs were to prevail
when they should reach the stormy wind:
and waves OF Cape Horn, the fate Of the
vessel seemed inevitable indeed and deplor>
able.
'We've endured this state Of things about
long enough" said Mr.. Herbert to the cap
tain as they stood together on the quarter
deck during tho dog watch on the evening Of
the fifteenth day. by our reckoning, if this
breeze holds we should be tomorrow noon in
latitude degs. north, longitude 10 degs
| west.
"If we propose to get rid Of this shipload
of criminals and not go with them to de-
truction of Cape Horn, we must change our
| course tomorrow, as soon as we have taken
the sun and proved our reckoning. By my
! calculations it will be a run Of about twenty
one hundred and forty miles TO Callao, and,
i steering by the wind along the equator, we
ought with fair luck to make the port inside
of twenty days. The wines are southerly at
| this season, and we may sail free all the
| way"
/ Mr. Herbert spoke with freedom to his
/ superior officer, but ne had sailed years with
Capt. Conyers, who greatly relied on him,
and who ia this emergency had sought his
! advice
''Well, suppose it must be So" said Capt.
/ Conyers with something like a sigh. 81 don't
know what the owners viii think to have us
/ go out of our course like this"
''I6 can't be helped" said Mr. Herbert.
"And now l propose another thing, captain,
if you'll sanction it. And that is to recap
ture this ship. | think we've been the sport
of lot of beachcombers long enough, and
should like to get into authority again, if
only for half an hour, just to see how it
would seem. | have plan by which / think
we can put those fellows down and keep
them under until we can set them ashore
Come to my room to talk, where we'll be
out of the hearing Of the man at the wheel, :"
said Capt. Conyers, nervously.
They entered the cabin and there ensUed
between them a long conversation of an argu-
mentative character, in which objections
raised by the captain were successfully done
representations of 3r Herbert, so that
finally the captain, rising, said in a tone of
resignation, well, we'll try it."
The force that might be counted on in sup
port Of the lawful authorities of the ship was
seven in number, being the captain, first,
second and taird mates the carpenter, stew
ard and cook The element opposed was
twenty-eight in number, but Of these several
,g h, all al y,-i- I,
their associates and appreciated the dangers
of their position; these men We're neutral
factors who would not resist, nor could they
be counted on to assist the officers in the
event Of a rnutiny Of the crew.
Mr. Herbert took none of the other officers
into his confidence until the next day at noon.
Then while they were at their dinners they
were briefly told what was expected of them
and given their instructions what to do.
They all entered most heartily into his
plans. A little after two bells in the after
noon Mr.. Herbert left the cabin and walked
forward among the men. There he saw a
sight which, at that time Of day, has rarely
been paralleled on a merchant ship sailing on
the high seas There was no work going on
fore or aft, but the entire crew, save the man
at the wheel, were lounging at their ease
Some were sitting on deck at cards, others
were lying in their berths smoking, and
others again were sitting on the bits or lean
ing against the rail irdulging in conversa-
ton which was plentifully mixed with oaths
and obscenity.
As Mr.. Herbert came among them they
glanced at him with contemptuous indiHer-
ence and went on with their occupations.
But his face was very serious, and his voice
was so impressive that they were compelled
to listen with attention as he spohe
Boys, there's danger ahead. The old
mans been looking at his glass, and he says
we're going to have one OF the worst kind of
storms and it'll strike the ship right away
Now, boys, all hands turn up aloft and furl
the sails We're III the squally attitudes now,
remember, and weIl so to the bottom in a
hurry if a cyclone catches Us with our canvas
spread"
The men looked from one to the other, not
much liking the prospect held out by Mr..
Herbert, either of the work or the storm
Presently one of their number dropped his
cards and got up from the deck, saying:
''Well, boys, I guess we'd better do as he
says There'n be time afterwards to finish
our game"
SO one by one they quilted the rail- got up
from the deck or rolled ont of their hunks.
and slOuched il an Independent manner to
the places assigned them. BY the time the
ciew lines and buntliEes had been hauled and
Delayed the entire crew had turned TO, and
were then all sent up 10 furl the sails on the
mainmast
They clambered up the rigging, awkward
" enough the most OF them, but in time they
were all alott, strung out along the yards,
Juggling away at the canvas, and working
still harder to savo themselves from falling
As they fumblei ct the sails directed from
the deck by the second and third mates, Mr..
Herbert, the carpenter and the cook met by
prcconcert at the forecastle, which they at
one entered.
The carpenter carried a mallet and chisel
and the cook = Gunny sack. The carpenter
proceeded actively 20 pry open every chest,
each OF which was expeditiously searched by
Mr. Herbert and the weapons contained
therein transferred to the bag held by the
cook.
Every bunk and mattress was thoroughly
examined with the same intent, a thorough
inspection made OF the topgallant forecastle,
aud then the three came AFT, carrying win
them as booty sixteen revolverS, eleven
knives, eight slung shots and bibles and
assortment Of burglars tools. These were
deposited il the cabin, after which the ships
officers were one hv one called in before the
captain and mate co make certain prepara-
tons and 10 receive further instructions.
One by enc they returned TO the deck and
took their stations unncticed By the men
aloft
When these pTehnin2ries had beon com
pletad. Iii. Eerbgre w0Izc3 toward tia loot