Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-03-07
CHAPTER X,-MUTINY.

The destruction of the brig ightened
every heart on board.
Sailors are proYerbially superstitious,
and the scenes they had witnessed and the
anxiety they had endured had made deep
impression on the remnant of the ''Diana's"
crew, and wound them up to a high pitch
of excitement. AS our misfOrtunes had
begun with the Lady Jane" the poor
fellows thought they would end with her.
Having, moreover, come to regard Captain
Peyton as Jonah, they looked on his
tragic death as at once Judgment and an
expiration, and made sure that now he was
gone the luck would change.
Even Bucklow, educated man as he was,
couS not help sharing in this hallucina-
tin; and the alacrity with which he
changed the ships course, and the ener-
getic and almost CHEEKY manner in which
he gave his orders, showed how greatly
his mind was relieved.
'I, too, was glad we had got rid of the
brig-like Bucklow, hated the very sight
of her-but / could Meth, share in the
general confidence, nor believe that in get
ting rid of the fever ship we had got rid OF
the fever. [ was too much depressed to
be hopeful, and had read in one of the
medical books which formed part of Pey-
toms library that a high temperature fav-
ored the development of yellow fever; that
the most certain cure for it IS cold weather.
But during the last day or two the tenn
perature had risen and the wind fallen off
and as we were now making direct for the
equator, there was every likelihood of our
having it still warmer. The brig more
over, had done her worst, so to speak; her
contiguity ceased to be danger, and the
chief advantage of her disappearance was
that it encouraged the men, and enabled
us to make better speed: although as our
coal was nearly done, Bucklow thought it
better to stop the engine and unship the
screw.
Great gains, so far as they went; but
could not believe that they were sufficient
to stay the plague. Bucklow was more
sanguine and superstitious.
1.-The Omens are all good, Erle," he eX-
claimed, clapping me on the back. 'There
has not been fresh case since yesterday,
except poor Peyton's; the wind is freshing
we shall be doirg six knots soon if this
goes on-and look there: those white-bel-
lied devils have left us.''
So they had. Not a shark was to be seen.
confess that at first this rather stag.
gered me; one cannot help believing just a
little in Omens; and dumb creatures have
very subtle instincts-still, how on earth
can sharks have any ideas about yellow
fevers There must be some other cause
Ali think I have it.
eyes, they are gone, sure enough" l
said. 'But L am afraid Don't you think
the burning of the brig has something to
do with it? l have heard that sharks are
easily scared, and the blaze and the heat,
and the fall of burning embers into the
water, might easily frighten much holder
animals"
'sWhat a croaker you are, Erie! Why
cannot you let fellow cherish a pleasing
illusion?-if it be an illusion-and really,
you know, don't think it is. These crea-
lures senses are very acute, and it is quite
conceivable that their leaving Us is a good
sign"
81 should be glad to think so. But what
do you call that" 1 asked. pointing to the
dorsal fin Of a shark which just then ap
peared above the water.
Heaven help usl they are coming back
And what monsterl Five-and-thirty feet
If it Is an inchl And there is another.
How will it all end, Erle?'
THAT is more than [ can say; but / am
quite sure that it will END neither better
nor worse because those sharks have come
back. suppose it is their nature TO fol-
low in ships wake"
But Bucklow shook his hea d; the incl
dent had made a deep impress sion on him,
and he evidently put more faith in omens
than he was willing to admit.
For the next two days, however, things
did go better with Us; there was no fresh
cases, and two sailors who had been taken
i'll before the captain died seemed as if
they might recover. At any rate, it was
past the third day. and they were still
alive, which showed. thought, that the
malady was losing something Of its viru-
lence.
But the improvement was short-lived.
The breeze did not take us very far, and
when it fell off the heat became intense,
and two patients died, and we had several
fresh cases. In several instances men
died without being laid up. There was a
suppression Of some of the secretions, in
tense pain in the limbs lasting for a few
hours, and the sufferers were struck down
on the deck. 1t was probably in this way
that the poor creatures whose bodies we