Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-09-26

ClneefS leaning over the lower nalI
of the galley door, munching crackers
and drinking coffee.
what do you mean by this?" he
bawled with a curse
The sailor turned half around and
said slowly: "We've knocked off"
knocked off? Climb aft there,
you mutinous rascal! RUM"
Both engineer and seaman ground
about on their heels. s. We've
knocked off, we tell you,' they said
together.
The captain glared murderously.
Raising his arm he motioned aft.
Neither stirred. The coffee cup
caught the engineer full in the face.
An instant later the captain was on
his back upon the deck and the
sailor was tying his limbs tightly to-
gether.- When he was strapped to
their satisfaction, the whole crew,
engineer, seaman and boy, dragged
him struggling and cursing to the
aftergrating by the wheel. There
they dropped him. Don't come any
of your tricks on u.s." painted the en-
gineer. you're lucky to get off so
easily. You would throw things at
an engineer, would you?''
81 didn't go to hit you, Jim,"
growled the prisoner. I intended to
hit that fellow there"
Lucky for you that you didn't"
put in the sailor, sullenly.
Anyway" said the engineer,
you're settled for while.''
The three gathered in the little
galley and ate a substantial supper.
| Then the men lit their pipes and
sauntered out on the deck. The night
| was deepening fast; the eastern sky
| was already black above the coast
line, and in the west heavy clouds
| were scudding across the last re-
| Elections of the sun. The wind came
| in puffs from the south, fretting the
nor'west swells into an angry tumble.
From the grating on which he lay
the captain looked from the Tapping
sail and the rusty funnel forward to
the 1eaden seas that brimmed to the
low rail. His thoughts were not
clear. The Indifference of the two
men stirred him to rage; the sight of
his helpless schooner staggering I'M
| guided through the perilous sea
| filed him with misery; the thought
of the fate that was swiftly coming
upon them all cleaned in his eyes.
| The sailor was the first of the
rebels to notice the position of the
ship. Far in shone light which
marked Point Adams. The bar,
North Head and every other land
mark was obliterated by the driving
scud cts freshenin'," he remarked
uneasily.
| Coming on blow responded the
|
Columbia. Bad place.
''Some water is comm aboard.
That means we've got to get sail on
her while we can. There's only two
of us and the boy, and I reckon it
will wind us to set even the fore
stayls'.'
ST don't see how we bettered our
selves by getting in fuss with the
| skipper" grumbled the engineer.
eve just set ourselves extra work -
| ''Heave her to-" answered the
sailor. "Heave her to, and then you
| and I can sit in the cabin and keep
warm and sleep"
It was pitch dark when they had
set a couple of staysails forward and
dashed the wheel again. The ill-trim-
med Katie made heavy weather of it,
and they had thoughts of releasing
the captain and returning to duty.
With a half articulate understanding
they made their way aft to the graf
ing on which they had left the cap
tain. A dollop of water came over
the rail and flooded the afterdeck so
that they were compelled to hang
on to escape being washed overheard.
"Where are you, sir?" called the
sailor in a low tone.
There was no reply. The engineer
stopped and peered around the deck.
No human form was to be seen and
the grating, crushed into shapeless
bits, doated in the scuppers. Neither
uttered word. They went forward
and threw themselves painting down
the scuttle into the forepeak. When
they turned and faced each other, a
heavy sea Numbered upon the deck
above them. sThe old man is lost
said the engineer.
Hell tell no tales" responded his
companion.
eve might as well "a thrown him
over the side as left him on that
grating. You and I killed him."
81 say said the sailor, chat he'll
tell no tales
But the boy?"
| They stared idiotically at each
other and clutched the sides of the
hunks to secure their footing. The
spasm of resentment was past, and
they We're face to face with an un.
premediated crime. The engineer
broke the pause. Its gone far
enough" he said hoarsely. We've
blood on our hands. The boys not
in this
'sWhy not? Do you want to hang?'