The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-08-06
THE INSANE MATE

/ !rtIn " @ were thankful, as yOu may
suppose. 10 take leave of a place of so
/ little interest to foreigner. and where
the heat was 50 suffocatingly oppress
/ i've that we kept the decks constant
! " wet. and employed double awnings
| 10 avoid sunstroke How II would be
| during the summer months L dO not
| know. nor do | care: for | swore q big
| oath at the time lever, so long as /
| had a share in and was master Of a
vessel. would | accept a charter for
! Arabia again.
Winds were SO light for two days
! that we made little Roadway, but on
| the evening Of the second day a cool
nOrthwesterly breeze brought Us re
! lief. and all sail was set, in hopes that
bv daybreak we would be through the
/ Straits Of Bah ell Mandeb Our course
ultil the breeze struck Us had been
| due west. and the African coast had
! been in sight all the afternoon from
| the deck. This coast was very rough,
| being dotted with islands and reefs
which were rather too near, l thought.
| 50 | decided not to turn In until | was
| satisfied that we were well clear of the
! land and had plain sailing ahead.
| had another object in not turning
! in 1t was the first mates watch. and
! though he was as good seaman and
! officer as had ever been shipmaster
with. | was suspicious OF him because
| Of his strange behaviour since we had
| left Mocha. Naturally a sOciable,
! kind hearted and gcntlemanly fellow.
/ he had shifted in an hour, apparently,
| 10 morosp. unciyil and disrespectfCl
| being regarding myself. and with the
| crew was pccyish. abusive, and pro
| fame. an entire antithesis of himself,
as II were. | couldn't understand
| him. and time and again started to
take him to task for disrespect and
/ profanity. | supposed the long spell
in port, with little or no duty to per
| form. upset his temper, and Il few days
at sea would set him mp once more,
| but in this he was mistaken. as you
shall see At nine O'Clock the mate
informed me that we We're making
six and one half knots.
Very good, Nh. Cross. At that
rate we shall slip the cape before noon
tomorrow: we might be doing better,
hit we mc doing we'll" | replied.
He made no reply, and resumed
| his walk up and down the deck, stop
! ping occasionally tolook over the side.
Then he went forward, taking stand
by the starboard cathead. and looked
for some time ahead iuto the dark
ness. Suddenly he started down the
forecastle ladder, ran swiftly along
the deck and up the poop ladder, and
taking the wheel out of the helms
mans hand. pat the rudder over to
| port,
What Is the matter, Mr. Cross p
| asked, jumping mp and walking to
wards him.
The mate made no reply whatever.
What are you doing, sir What is
the matter" | called ont. in no
gentle voice. Again no reply.
At bound was beside him, and
catching him by the arm, ordered him
away from the wheel and to go below.
My voice was tremuloua and husky
with passion. for his seeming insolence
was far more than | had stood from
any one: my first impulse was to
knock him down. vet desisted
Looking into his face, which the
binnacle lamp partially lighted up, |
saw that great change had come
over him since sundown. ana his eyes
we're gazing forward with fixed intpn-
sity. moreover, there was a devilish,
! uncanny glare in them that sent a
brill through me. Good God" |
gaspcd; ..tho man is insane, Lay aft
the watch, Lively, lads. lively"
1t was my intention to have Mr..
/ Cross secured at once. that he might
do no harm to himself or others, but
in this | was frustrated, for he broke
away from my grasp, and. standing
behind the man from whose hands he
had taken the Wheel burst ont in
mocking laughter that made all who
hearu him shudder.
| Suddenly he stopped. and called
ont in voice the like Of which | new
or hope TO hear again: I've done 1t
I've done it, Here goes the last Of tho
Topaz, and here goes the last of me-
and before a soul could stop him he
pushed his way through the knot OF
seamen and bounded over the rail in
to the sea.
He had no sooner struck the water
than the bow of our good old brig
crashed against rock, throwing al
hands to the deck; then the masts fell
and the brig was a helpless and hope
) less wreck.
Whether the mate had seen the rocl
as he stood on the forecastle, and tn,
tieudien idea that the lives of all OF
board would be impcriled. beside:
= causing the loss of the brig anC
he- valuable cargo whether these
. thoughts chined with his insan
! ity and he acted on impulse, | o
/ course never knew; though his actions
and the fact that he threw himsel
! overheard AT the very NOM Mt tn,
bow of the brig was crushed. We're co
incidents strongly in favor of tina
i. 7upposition Any way the brig wa
lost, ard we had a very short time Onl,
q 10 get the boats ont from the iumb'eG
2 ~ rigging and pm away from th
!. vessel before she sank
Is In the long pOdl were the SecOn'
e mate and ten Of the crew: while til
dingy -which | had always used as
=. gig being small boat and some
n what damaged, had only three me-
4, besides the steward and myself.
e told the second mate to keep he
i side my boat and steer to the west
4 ward: to row easily. as it was bptt-
to make a landfall in daylight than
Z the dark. At dawn we were ahou
4 two miles from the shore. and l swel
ia it with my glass to find signs [
'E human beings, and To select a landing
he place. saw no evidence Of mankint
+ but did locate a place that SCENE
i to offer a fair haven for our boats, an
- very shortly we had landed there
4 very short account Of our fir: