The San Francisco call., 1901-11-03

in and year out a mystery-a 1nys-
terry that has been in their midst for over
thirty years and they have not solved IL.
Had it not been that. after all, this
world is so small and that events force
themselves upon US nowadays with such
rapidity that we are getting accustomed
to them it is probable that this mystery
would have remained one until the end
Of time for the very good reason that no
one has bothered for thirty years 10
solve il
In the spring Of 1850, on a fine Sunday
morning, the good ship Tropic Bird, Cap
tain Homans skipper. set sail from Glou-
cester, Mass, with a cargo of general
produce bound for the Golden Gate.
He had aboard mixed crew-men who
had roughed it all their lives and men
that hadn't, seafaring men and landlub-
bers, all having but one hope, one idea
the far-famed gold fields of California
They were willing to take the risk and
chances of the seven months at sea, with
the possible horrors Of the rounding OF
the Horn, if they could only once get to
the coveted land, the land flowing with
milk and honey, the land of gold.
A good, true ship was the Tropic Bird.
had with him his brother
One day is very much like another. on
q long voyage when the wind holds good
and the weather is fair, but there came
q time when the ominous murmur. a
mere whisper. gathering force each day.
the echo of mutinous discomfort. caugn-
the quick ears of the young captain and
his ever-watchful brother.
The cargo was a valuable one. They
were on the high seas. If the crew
stood together gainst two men they were
as nothing in their hands.
Action quick action, was their only
safeguard. For a time they waited and
watched like lynxes. They sifted the
good from the bad; they placed the good
with the bad in the watches.
The mutineers We're. they discovered,
headed by a large heavy-set Dutchman.
and he had more than half the crew with
him.
Il was an anxious time. They were
nearing the critical point of the voyage
the rounding of the Horn-and the
weather was freshening.
The men We're doing their work sullen-
iy the esprit de corps" had gone, and
those true TO their young skipper were
doing double duty on half-time sleep.
There could be only one end to such a
state of affairs.
One morning Captain HOmans was sud
denly seized with gripping pains. followed
by vomiting. Their knowledge of medi
cine was small, but they soon reaIize1
that their coffee had been tampered with
and as they sat in the captains cabin
they eyed one another fearfully, these
two brothers, practically alone VITA
WOuld-be murderers
They held a council of war. the result be-
ing that the crew was called aft and the
captain delivered himself of few we'll
chosen, full of ginger. spicy sentences
There had been foul attempt to take
his life that very morning. Would the
crew Jibe together or would they not?
If they would, let bygones be bygones.
II not by the Almighty, he would clap
every mutineer in irons and work the
ship round short handed.
Matters were quieter for a day or two.
the crew worked better and less suIlen-
ly, but it was the calm before the storm.
and one night the cloud burst
There was a loud cry from the first
mate, and in q second it seemed as if
every one was in the scrimmage. Breaths
came hard. There were muttered curses
as a knife went home.
The captain rushed on deck half dress
ed. Dutch Dick had just dispatched his
man, and with a curse was on him. Now
the captain, though light. was strong
as bull famous wrestler. even al
that age, and knew every trick of the
trade. The Dutchman was enormous.
big, heavy slouchy. 1t was an even
thing.
Captain Romans ducked under a vicious
thrust and got the giant round waist and
arms They tugged and twisted, they
slipped and fell, they rolled over, but the
captain never let go that hold for to
yield was death They were I'D again
and the hold could last no longer. Like
a fash he changed it. He caught the
gasping Dutchman by his belt, got his
left arm and shoulder under his leg and
threw him over his head
The captain fell on him with all his
force and stunned him.
It was an intervention of Providence
that brought the storm. in all its force.
on that bowling, cursing, yelling mob OF
mad devils, mad with the lust of gain.
thirsty for blood.
There was a bright. piercing fash. the
sharp battalion crack, crack Of thunder.
The storm was on them. No time now
for murder and rapine. It was a battle
against the elements Each man to his
post
The captain was up roaring orders to
his men, Those who could obeyed.
Many Of them limped to their duty.
Dutch Dick, recovering quickly from his
heavy fall subdued, conquered, got
quickly to work, and the making of all
ship shape to meet he storm began
One danger was over, beaten out of ex-
istence by anothe-. The crew worked
with a will to save their own skins
These who were too disabled to work
cured their own wounds as best they
could. The first mate, with two ugly
knife cuts in him, the captain tended in
his spare moments.