Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-04-10
uOW A MUTINY
A WAS AVERTED.


did ! sail with such forebodings. I
was late in the season. and we ha,
! picked up a crew IN San Franciscr
such as no officer would be pleased 4
sail with even In fair weather. NJ,
first mate ! trusted implicitly, but m,
second was new 70 me. and knew lit
tie Of his antecedents. The men hac
been spending some time ashore be
tween cruises. frequenting the loves
dives in the city. and when they cam'
aboard they were drunk.
II was a bleak day that we sailed
and the weather didn't improve OF
acquaintance. My ship was a saIlel
and required constant handling alOft
A fine mist or sleet fell most Of the
time, and the rigging was thick with
Ice. The consequence was that every
time man was ordered aloft he either
went with growl or refused to go al
all My first mate. whittemore, and !
were kept busy most Of the time
threatening. cursing or even knocking
them down with any implement that
came handy As for Harden, the sec.
Ond mate, II he gave a man an order
and It wasn't obeyed he gave It to
some one else.
One day, when we were beating
against biting northeast wind and
the clouds were splitting snow, while
standing on the after deck I saw the
men gathering on the forecastle. I
knew trouble was brewing and, giving
Whittemore a meaning look. directed
his attention for'ard. As for Harden,
be was below. though had he been on
deck ! should not have placed any
reliance on him. Next / saw a man
Of the crew of the name Of Billings
urging his shipmates to follow him
aft, starting himself. going few steps
and returning for more argument. A
few followed him on some Of these
inciplent advances. but the bulk Of the
crew hung back. Finally, after a
harangne that could not hear, he
made another move. and all but two
or three OF them went with him.
It's not a pleasant sight for one
man with no support but single
comrade out on a blustery ocean to
see q knot OF men, doubtless with arms
concealed. coming to murder him.
made up my mind 10 sell my life as
dearly as possible and uncovered a re-
volver had carried ever since setting
sail. whittemore came and stood be-
side me.
The men had reached the compan-
ionway when one OF them caught sight
Of something on the port quarter. 9th
ers turned to look, and one by one
they stopped. Thinking It safe to do
80. turned my own eye in the direc-
ton they were looking and saw ship
coming athwart our course. II was
she that had arrested the men. Those
bent on mutiny don't want any wit
nesses. They stood peering at her,
and Is she drew nearer 1t was plain
that she had suffered rough usage.
Her masts. all except her foremost,
were gone, and that had a single sail |
set No one was to be distinguished |
on deck until she came within hailing
distance. when through the flying
snowAakes one person was discover
able.
At the wheel stood a helmsman. The |
ship scudded across our course not q |
hundred yards in advance Of US, and
only the one man was to be seen. He |
was motionless except for the rolling |
OF the ship. ] hailed, but he neither !
answered nor turned even TO look at I
us. He was not plainly visible and
only so for a few moments. for no
sooner did he reach the nearest point |
to as than snow squat bid both him
and his ship. and when II thinn6d the
vessel was but few indistinct lines.
Sailors are the most superstitious
people In the world. aud my crew was
Of the lowest aud most superstitlous
type Of sailors. I could see by their
appearance that they considered the
passing vessel a phantom and the
wheelman q ghost.
Here was my opportunity. Drawing
my revolver and motionlng white
more to follow me. walked briskly
On reaching the forecastle
covered Billings with my revolver
and ordered him 20 walk aft. He look
ID az the men for help. but saw that
they were eowed and obeyed the or
w.t. AhAkNue1 uAuA OuWu the gang
way, and IN a few minutes my mates
had him dlsarmed and In irons. Then
went again on deck and told the
rev that II they wished to escape a
when we reached port they
had better return to duty at once.
Nest Of them obeyed with alacrity.
Those who showed slgns OF giving fur
her trouble | had put IN irons BY
he very men they had been influsnc-
ne 10 mutiny.
The wind howled that night. ana the
lext day we got an observation. Find.
ng that was far out Of my course,
,ue her on considerably. sailing a the
Erection Of the phantom. Ia another
lay we overhauled her. AZ We
anne up aatern Of her We saw her
lame. the Aida of Tacoma, wash.
rhere was the man sim az the wheel,
ut not another person IN sight /
rev 40 beside hRr a. mar "a darsa !