Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-12-22
DAILY SHORT STORY
Cast Adrift in the Pacific.


| in the Pacific, and all was going well
with the bark Harvest Home when we
picked up Il sailor named Williams,
who was drifting about in ships
yawl He told a story of shipwreck
and suffering which we afterward
came to know was utterly false. and
after Il couple of days he was put in
my watch and entered as an extra
| hand.
Williams had no sooner got among
| the men than he began telling of Il
great treasure buried on one of the
| Nuril islands Talk treasure to n sail
or and you can bring him to mutiny.
| The amount of money was given at
several million dollars, and Williams
claimed to be able TO locate the exact
spot. 1t probably never occurred to
one of the men to ask why he didn't
go to the captain with his story and
try to arrange for the removal of the
treasure, but if it did he had some
answer at hand. He proposed taking
possession of the bark, sailing her to
the treasure island, securing the great
wealth and then using her TO get to
England. AS to the officers and such
men as would not join, they We're to be
cast adrift in midocean to take their
chances. We had cargo valued at
$3.50 and l think the mans game
was to peddle it out among the Ma
rine, Caroline and Marshall islands,
get what he could and then look out
for himself.
So quietly did he do his work among
the crew that not the slightest hint of
what was going on was waited aft
He enlisted eight of the men in his
cause, and on the seventh day of his
coming aboard and while the captain
and l were eating dinner the climax
came. The second mate was seized,
bound and gagged, and an alarm was
raised that he had fallen overheard.
Both of us rushed from the cabin to
be pounced upon and made prisoners.
1t was Il surprise all around, and no
insolence was offered any of us. When
Captain Holt demanded an eXplana-
ton. Williams promptly enlightened
him. He said:
I'VE are in possession of the bark.
We are going after n great treasure.
which is TO be equally divided between
man and man. 1t was no use to talk to
you, for you would have scoffed at my
story. 1t was agreed that none of you
should be hurt. and we have kept to
the agreement"
What do you Intend to do with us?'
"Send you adrift within an hour"
where is your treasure island?"
81 will not tell YOU
eff you really know of Il buried treas
ure, why not let us sail the ship there
and share with you?''
Because that would mean less mon
ey for the rest of us"
The captain appealed to the men, de-
claring that Williams had no real
knowledge of Il treasure and would
lead them Il wild goose chase. and Of
fered to overlook what had happened if
they would return to duty. The feeling
of the crew was expressed by the old
boatswain, who took of his cap and
stood in humble attitude as he said:
Captain Holt. we hev nuthin' ag'in
We nor the mates. but here's a chance
fur every man of us to git rich fur life,
and we feels as If we must take it,"
There was more argument but the
men We're stubborn. Those who had re-
fused to join in the plot now came for
ward and gave in their allegiance to
Williams, and preparations were begun
for casting us adrift. One of the quar-
ter boats was hOisted out. and in it
were slowed water md provisions suffi-
cient to last three of us a fortnight.
We were allowed Il mast and sail,
but neither chart nor compass.
We had made $50 miles 10 the east
and were having fair weather when we
made a grewsome discovery. About 3
a NNa ci, cd
strange object only point or two off
our course, and, running down to it, we
found our old bark floating keel up
ward, with two of her masts and
great mass of wreckage surrounding
her. There was but little sea OH. and we
scrambled upon the bark's bottom. We
had faint hope that if sound below
she might be righted. especially If we
sighted a craft which would give us
assistance. She had probably been in
that position for three or four days at
the least, but there was still sufficient |
air to buoy her up. l had not yet |
walked her length when / heard a
knocking, followed by faint shouts.
The captain came aboard to see what |
he could make of 1t. and it was not |
long before we were satisfied that at |
least two men were imprisoned in the |
cabin. By lying down and placing our |
ears to the copper sheathing we could |
make out that they knew some one had |
boarded the bark, and they appealed to |
us to cut hole through which they |
could escape. We had neither AK nor
Ratchet, but if we had been fully |
equipped the chances would have been |
against us. 1t was a spot where no one
could stand upright to use an ak, and |
every fifth or sixth wave rose right |
over ii.
We believed one of the imprisoned
men to be Williams and the other the
We could catch their words