Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-10-06

llttcly us ! CoUlu, so Ms 10 ucpllNc
CoXon OF all opportunity Of making
my berth more uncomfortable than II
was; 10 hold my tongue, TO take no no.
ticc Of the shippers doings, TO steer
clear Of Duckliug rs much as possible,
aud TO quit the ship, il possible, at
Valparaiso. How ! kept these good
resolutions you shall hear
CHAPTER VI.
The weather mcndcd next day. and
we made all sail with fine breeze,
steering south-southwc,t. We had left
the Downs on Tuesday, the 22d Of Au-
gust. and ON the 10Th we found by OBJ
scryalion that we had made a distance
of over nine hundred miles, which,
considering the heavy seas the ship had
encountered and the depth TO which
she was loaded, was very good sailing.
Next day we were well upon the Bay
OF Biscay Here il fell calm and the
ship made little progress. This put
tONOn m II tcrOciOus temper and he
routed the crow out ut all hours TO
man first the port and then the star
board braces until all of us were worn
out. All this did no good and the eN-
ira work was put on us because tho
skipper was in u rage ut the calm, and
not caring TO rest himself was deter
mined the crew should not Next
morning light breeze sprung up and
we ran before it. but did not make
more than six knots an hour
And so till Thursday tho 3lst OF
August, on which day we were, to the
best OF memory, in latitude 4, degrees
and longitude about 10 degrees.
Tho men during this timo had been
pretty quiet. The boatswain told me
that grumbling among them was rs
regular rs meal-timcs; butuo murmurs
came aft, no fresh complaints were
made TO the skipper The reason was,
think, tho crew believed that the
skipper meant to touch at Madeira or
one OF the more southerly Canary
Islands. That this was their notion
was put into my head by n question
asked me by hand at the wheel when
was alone ON deck; would l tell him
where the ship WASP
gave him tho results Of tho sights
ut noon.
That's 10 the BASTARD Of Madoory,
amt lt, sirg'
"lcs."
Ito bent his eyes on the compass
card, and seemed to he rejecting ON
tho ships course. The subject dropped;
but after he had been relieved and was
gone forward, | saw him talking to tho
watch; and one Of them knclt down
and drew some kind of u figure with q
piece of chalk upon the deck (it looked
10 me, aud doubtless was, rude
chart Of the ships positon), where
upon the cook began TO jabbor with
great ychomcnco, extending his hands
in tho Widest way, and pulling one of
the men close 10 him and whispering
in his ear They noticed me watching
them, presently, and broke up,
Had | been on friendly terms with
CoXon or Ducklng, should have made
no delay in going to one or the other
OF them and communicating my mis-
Pivings, for really apprchcndcd that
there was something serious in the ut
titude OF the men, But knew both OF
them disliked mo so thoroughly that
thoy were likely to convert my warn
ing into direct charge against me,
aud II tho mutiny which | foreboded
broke ont | would be treated as the
rng-lcader. Besides, there was another
consideration that influenced me; my
misgivlngs might be unfoundcd.
might mako report which would not
only imperil my own position, but pro-
woke him into assuming an attitude
toward the men which would produce
in reality the mutiny that might, ~
things went, never come to pass. Thi,
consideration more than any thing elsl
decided me to hold my tongue, to lei
matters take their course, and to leave
tho captain and his chief mate TO use
their own eyesight, instead of obtrud
ing mine upon them.
When left the deck at four O'Clock
on the Wednesday afternoon, Their,
was pleasant breeze blowing directly
from astern, and the ship was carrying
all tho canvas that would draw. The
sky was clear, but pale, like winter,
sky, and there was very heavy swell
rolling up from the southwark. The
weather on the whole. looked promis
ing, and, despite tho northeastern
wind, the temperature was so milo
that 1 could have very well dispensed
with my pilot-iacket.
Through the dog-wotches Oh,
weather still held fair; but tho glass
had fallen and the wind was dropping
Captain CoXon had very little TO say II
me now, and l to him. was Jus
civil. and no was barely SOL but wheI
j was taking glass in the cuddy pre-
nnratnrV 10 turnipR IN for three hour