Evening star., 1897-01-09
leader noticed the silent merriment, and


said:
Laramie, I reckon these men II stand
You can come up here. I'm gettin' long in
wears and kinder steadyin down, but I
s'pose you and 'Pache want some fun.
Start yer whistle. and turn loose
Up the steps bounded Laramie. and with
a ringing whoop as prelude, began whis-
Ting clear. musical trill, while Pache,
growing out: Dance, dance, We white
ivered coyotes" sent a bullet through the
outer edge of the chief mates boot-heel
Dance" repeated Laramie between bars
of tine music. Crack, crack" went the
pistols, while bullets ratified around the
feet of the men on the hatch, and Lara
mics whistle rose and fell on the soft
morning air.
The sun, who has looked on many scan
dalous sights, looked on this, and hid his
face under cloud, refusing to witness.
For never before had the ethics of snip
board life been so outrageously violated.
A squat captain and two six-foat officers,
nearly black in the face from rage and eX
ertl0n. with hands clasped over heir hea is,
Popped and skipped around narrow stage
10 the accompaniment of pistol reports
harmoniously disposed among the notes of
a whistled tune, while bullets grazed their
feet, and an unkempt disfigured and sore
headed crew looked on and chuckled. When
the mate, weak from loss of blood, fell and
rolled to the deck, the leader stopped the
entertainment.
Nov, gentlemen" he said in his serious
voice; I'm called Pecos Tom, and I've had
considerable experience in my time. but
this is my fust with human creatures SO
weak and thoughtless that they'll drug and
steal three men without takin' their guns
away from them. And so, on account o
this shiftless improvidence, 1 reckon this
boat will have to turn round and go back.
They rolled and kicked the two mates to
the rail, lifted the captain to his feet, and
said, significantly:
''Give the right and proper order to yer
men to turn this boat round"
With his face working convulstvely,
Capt. Belchior glanced at his captors-
at his eager, waiting crew-at the wheel
without q helmsman-at a darkening or
the water on the starboard bow to the
southward-up aloft, and back again to
the three froWnng muZZles so close to
his head.
"One hand to the wheel-squarz in main
and GRO jack yards" he called. He was
conquered.
With a hurrah which indicsted the sim
cerity Of these orders the crew sprung
to obey them, and with foDeyards braced
to starboard and head sheZs fiat the ship
Wilmington payed off, WIRE around and.
bringing the young brzeze on the port
quarter steadied down to a course for
Sandy Hook, which the captain, with
hands released, but still under the influ-
ence of those threatening pistols. worked
out from the mates dead reckoning. Then
he was pinioned again, but allowed to
pace the deck and watch his ship, while
sometimes stepped upon or kicked and
often admonished on the evil of their
ways.
Early passengers on the East river fer
morning, which they appreciated accord
ing to their nautical knowledge. A lofty
ship, with sky sails and royals hanging
in the bunt lines and jibs failing ahead like
flags, was charging up the harbor before
a humming southerly breeze. followed by
elbowing crowd of pulling, whistling,
snub-nosed tugs. 1t was noticeable that
whenever a fresh tug arrived alongside
little white clO16S left her uHartPr deck
and that tug suddenly sheered off to take
a position in the parade astern. Abreast
of Governors Island tOpgallant halliards
We're let go, as were those of the jibs, but
70 Chewing up or hauling down was done,
nor were any men seen on her forecastle
deck getting ready lines or ground tackle.
She passed the battery and up the East
river, craft of all kind getting out Of her
way-fOr it was obvious something was
wrong with her-until, rounding slowly to
a starboard wheel, with canvas rafting
and running gear in bights, she headed
straight for a slip partly filled with canal
boats. Then her topsail halyards were let
go and three heavy yards came down by
the run, breaking across the caps and,
amid grinding, creaking and crashing of
riven timbers and deafenirg din of ap-
Dlauding tug whistles, she ploughed her
way into the nest of canal boats and came
to stop.
sides by ropes and chain plates to the
wrecked and sinking canal boats, some
with bags or chests some without came
sailor men, who climbed to the dock and,
answering questions of the gathering
crowd of dock loungers, scattered into the
side streets. while three men appeared on
the rail, who shook their fists and swore
and shouted for the police, calling par
ticularly for the apprehension of three
darkfaced, long-haired fellows with big
hats.
In the light of later developments it was
known that the police responded. and,
with the assistance of clearinghouse run
ners, gathered III that day nearly all of
this derelict creW-even to cautious
boatswain-whO were promptly and severe
ly punished for mutiny and desertion. But
the later developments failed to show that
the three dark-faced men were ever seen
again.