Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-03

( from time to time sent in by the captains
! who had sighted her the hydraulic office
| had made tracings of her voyagng. Copies
| of these tracings Darlington possessed, and
| during the first month of the search they
| followed them in a Zigzag course, hoping
| that the winds and currents that had in
| fiuenced her before still directed her.
! A month was consumed in this manner
| when the yacht put In at the Island of
| Martinique for recoaling, and then the
search was resumed.
| Practically the same methods were pur-
sued; the same zigzag courses were laid
| and the same waters searched with watch
| full eyes and unceasing vigilance.
But without reward. No derelict of any
description was sighted. The vessels that
| they spoke from time to time had sighted
none and knew of none, and sincerely
hoped they never might; SO that at last.
/ after nearly four months voyaeinp and
| three times recoaling, they found them
selves one midday in latitude 27 degrees
north and longitude 40 degrees west, with
silent engines. floating upon the placid,
glass-like surface Of the sea, which washes
against the wilderness of weeds so aptly
| named Sargasso.
All hope of discovering the derelict out
side that labyrinth of weeds had been
abandoned, and now they found them
serves confronted by difficulty unforeseen
Inc sailors on board the yacht positively
refused to assist In taking her into that un-
| known and mysterious place and were on
| the point of mutiny. Commands entreat ties
1
ing. The men refused to CO. and there
seemed no help for 1t, but to abandon the
enterprise at the moment when it seemed
nearest to success and when already MANY
| thousands of dollars had been expended
calculating upon the basis of the report
made by Captain Graham (the last concern
| ing the Sallie Johnson). and estimating the
| direction and velocity of the wind blowino-
| at that time together with the possible In
| iuence exerted upon the floating dereltct by
tne northeast branch of the gulf stream
and the suction Of the North African cur
| rent, the position In which the yacht now
hoated was doubtless the point at which
the Sallie Johnson had forced an entrance
| into the sea of weeds If she had glided
along the northern and northeastern mar
gin until she felt the North African current.
1t was probable that she would have been
carried by that through the Guinea cur
rent, and thence into one of the two great
| currents to the SOUTH the main equatorial or
one Of the branches of the southern con-
| Meeting stream. In that case years of re-
search might not accomplish her discovery
These exigencies Of the case had been
thoroughly discussed between the two men.
the captain and the capitalist. They had
decided with their hydraulic apparatus to
force their way into the Saragossa sea at
the point where they believed the dereIict
bark must have entered it, II at all. and If
they could not find her after doing the best
that could be done to do SO, to abandon the
search forever Now they were held back
by the mutfny of the crew
Darlington had the men piped ar, and
sternly addressed them for the last time
} Men" he said, and his voice was like
| the ships bell, ringing clear and true
! there are reasons why / do not blame vo,,
Tor ooJecting to enter upon this unknown
sea Ihat you have superstitions Concern
ing II, l know: l possessed them mvseIr
until 1 was convinced that this vessel nos,
sesses power which can defy its danpars
win scarcely an exception, you have been
IN the employ of Mr.. Gregory since this
vessel was launched. Has she ever been a
1CnahV
voyage. or fallen in with an ominous event
and will you who are sailors all abandon !.
vessel which has been your mascot aIwovsa
More than that, will you forsake n man
VINO mas been your friend as we'll ga vnur
| on ployer. because you see ahead OF Won a
suggestion of danger? Are you sailors fried
ana true, or are you towards? One more
word, and l have finished. i am cantain
mere, and will be obeyed. The man who
refuses to obey will be prosecuted for mn
tiny, IL do not kill him before a mort is
reached" -
With deliberate .calmness but with flash
| ing eyes and with stern demeanor. he drew
| two revolvers from his pockets and noised
| them in his hands Gregory. stand;np~ ha
| side him, did likewise; and then the vo;ce
of Darlington. clearer and louder than be-
fore, rang out in stern command:
To your stations every one of wont He
who disobeys me now. or refuses instant
and perfect compliance with orders. iiiesi
Ohtcer OF the deck, head on, full speed y;
and he pointed one of the revolvers mn ar
| the breast OF the frightened man.
The men were cowed into obedience Al
done the yacht lsapsd forward at full speed,