Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-23
DAILY SHORT STORY
A FEMALE SKIPPER.
Copyright. 1904. by T. c. Mcclure.l


pool To Charleston. and Captain Doyle
| was married and brought his wife on
| board on the day of our sailing. He
| was an easy going man, and from the
| hour OF her coming aboard she took
| matters into her own hands After we
had sailed she was all over the ship
giving orders here and there and de
handing obedience. and IL wasn't day
before everything was at loose ends
| and the brig ia Rcbody's charge. She
| had never been 10 sea. but she announc'
81 that she was boss and would have
things as she wished, and the week
that we put In before anybody dared
head mutiny was Il strange episode
in sailors life.
We were eight days out when the eli
max came. Every man of us went aft
and demanded OF the captain that his
wife be suppressed. He certainly real
lied that everything was ut loose ends
and that never had Il peaceful ship had
greater confusion aboard. but he had
no promises 10 make. He was as clay
I'm the woman's hands. When we had
stated our case she let fly her temper.
and OF all the tongues possessed by wo-
men hers wacCed the fastest and pour
ed forth the most bitterness. She even
went so far as TO bring the captains
pistols from the cabin and beg him 10
shoot us down.
What we finally did. though the wo-
man threatened us with Il revolver ev-
cry minute. was To lower away the
longboat. stock her with water and
provisions and abandon the craft. The
mates and the steward refused TO leave
the brig. and if the weather held pleas
ant the four men left could work her
into port or hold on until some passing
craft lent them aid.
Twelve hours after our leaving the
ship and heading for the Azores n gale
came down on us from the south. and
we had 10 turn and run before il. At
daylight next morning we found our
selves within mile of the Neptune.
Short handed rs she was. she had been
obliged TO run before the same gale,
and she had lost II topmast and been
otherwise banged about. AS soon as
she made us out we We're signaled TO
close in and come aboard. and in the
course Of half an hour we found our
tain met us more than halfway, say
ing that his wife should have no more
10 say and that he would not enter the
incident in his log book, and. though
the woman was on deck with him, she
had nothing TO say. good or bad.
We turned TO after breakfast and got
things shipshape and put the brig on
her course. For three days we made
fine runs and everything went we'll
aboard. On the morning OF the fourth
day. however. the captains wife broke
loose again. She gave her husband a
long and vigorous blessing and then
turned on the mates. and before she
got through every one on board had
come in for bit of her tongue. Her
language TO the first mate was resent
cd, and what did she do but bring out
n pistol and fire Il bullet into his leg.
1t was mutiny over again. When we
saw that things We're worse than be
fore and that there was no hope for
betterment we took TO the lonCboat
again. The second mate and steward
were with us this time, and the chief
officer would have been but for his
wound. We got n piping gale from the
east and went drifting off before II.
Our drift continued for over fifty hours.
and at times we gave up all hope, but
the gale broke at last. the sea went
down, and after a run of four hours
what craft should we fall in with but
the brig we had twice abandoned. We
ran down to her. scarcely able TO be-
lieve our eyes, and walking her quarter
deck as cooIly as II nothing had hap
pened was the same teTmagant OF a
woman. As the captain was not in
sight we lay Off and on. not seeing our
way clear. but presently the woman
came To the rail and called:
Get aboard here. you villains, and
get TO work. The captain Is Ill and the
mate laid up with that bullet l gave
him. and, though I'm Il determined wo-
man. l cannot sail this brig to- Charles
ton 10y myself"
The sea looked mighty wide and the
brig very inviting. and the result was
that we tumbled aboard. We got the
brig on her course. cleared up the
decks. and then came the question of
what was 10 happen when we had sail
ed her into port We had twice been
no matter what excuses we might urge
the lawyers and the courts might get
us into a pretty pickle unless we had
some guarantee In advance.
A messenger was sent TO the captaea.
but the conduct Of his wife had not On
~ worried him into a fever. but in one
OF her ebullitions OF temper she had as
saultei him and inflicted such injuries
that he was ashamed 10 appear on
deck. He was ready to promise us i'm
but she would not let him set
tie the matter. She declared that she
would prosecute the case TO the last
court and that none OF us should escape
prison. and after talking the matter
over we decided to take 10 the long
boat for the third time. When this de- |
cision was told her she replied:
You villains deserve hanging, but |
., /