Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1905-07-13
Mutiny and
Piracy
By CLARA TAYLOR
Copyright, 1905, by 7. c. Mcclure

| as good sailor as her husband She
| had gone with him to the West Indies
on seven voyages and had acted as
mate and second mate. She could mend
| sail, steer her trick, make or take in
| sail and use quadrant as we'll as any
one, or at least as we'll as any mate
| that ever sailed with the Hannah Snow,
as the brig was named. Captain Snow
ran between Boston and the West In
| dia islands, and the shippers of Bos-
| ton came to know his wife and the way
she could discipline crew and han
| die the craft.
On certain date the brig was load
| ing in Boston for quick market Ex-
| ira help was put on to get the cargo
aboard, and Captain Jabez signed q
| bond to get that cargo to its destina-
| ton within certain number of days,
| barring hurricanes. waterspouts and
| other acts of Providence The bond had
not been signed more than an hour
| when he broke his leg. Nothing was
| surer than that he could not carry out
his agreement and a great financial
| loss as well as many weeks of vexa-
| tious delay stared the couple in the
| face. They must either find a captain
| to take charge of the brig or forfeit
the charter and pay good round sum,
and Captain JabeZ was wondering if
man could be found when his wife
broke in ON him.
"Jabez, you have broke your leg, and
l don't want to be cross with you, but
you seem to forgit that | am still on
earth.
mo, don't" he replied, but l don't
see what you can do in this case ex-
cept to git me back home and nurse
| me-
We'll, l see where l can do some
thing else, and I'm goin' to do it too
Pm goin' to take the Hannah to the
| West Indies and back and save our
! charter
Have you lost your senses?'
Not bit of 1t. If l couldn't make
that voyage l wouldn't be worth my
Bill Henderson for mate. Well slip
down there and be back agin before
your leg has begun to knit. There
needn't be any more talk about finding
captain
When Captain Jabez thought the
matter over he was inclined to think
that his Wife could do all she said. but
the consignees had to be consulted.
When Aunt Hannah Went to them and
gle objection, and it was settled that
she was to be Captain Hannah Snow
for the voyage. 1t was only after the
brig had left port that the mates
meanness came to the surface. He
had sailed with the craft on several
| voyages and was neighbor of the
Shows at home. When the accident
happened to Captain Jabez the mate
naturally hoped to get command for
the voyage. He would have been dis
tressed if any other captain had come
/ aboard, but to be walked over by
woman, even though she was the cap
tain's wife and neighbor, was too
much.
Aunt Hannah saw that he was in the
sulks. Look here, Bill Henderson,"
she said, lit won't do you the least
mite of good to go on biting your
tongue over this. I can captain this
brig as we'll as Jabez, and Pm going to
take her out and back"
you'll have her at the bottom be-
fore we strike the gulf stream" he re-
piled.
You never mind where I'll have her,
but tend to your knitting. We are to
crack on and make the best time we
can"
A day later she found the mate carry
ing too little sail, and an argument
ensued. Later on she came on deck
from her watch below to find him
cumming with the men. Two or
three other things happened to put her
out Of temper and she exercised the
privilege of a captain by breaking"
the mate and sending him to the TO-
castle. When she would replace him
with the next best man, the sailor re-
fused to take the place. The crew was
with the mate. Aunt Hannah express
ed her mind freely, and as conse-
quence the crew refused to obey. The
brig was brought to the wind. sail TAX
en- off, and the woman was laughed at
She was told that not man would do
duty until the mate was reinstated.
"Then its mutiny, is it?' she replied.
Very well. I'll let you know that
you've got the wrong pig by the ear.
I'll lose brig, cargo and everything else
in the world before I'll give in"
For day and a night the brig made
no progress, and as the weather was
fair she incurred no danger
The crew saw that the woman did
not intend to give in, and it angered
, them. There was one among them
!. who had read dozens Of pirate books
and always longed to sail under the
black flag. Things had never come
right for him before, but now he took
: advantage of the temper of the others
: to breach the subject. He was a good
talker. and he held out such an allurina
picture that even the mate, who was
above the average man in intelligence,
, agreed to go into the pirate business
with the others This decision waS