Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1909-03-19

| was late in the season, and we: had
picked up crew in San Francisco
| such as no officer would he pleased ia
/ sail with even in fair weather. MY
| first mate trusted implicitly. but my
second was new to me, and ! knew lit:
! tie of his antecedents The men hat't
been spending some time ashore be
tween cruises, frequenting the loves.
dives in the city, and when they came
aboard they were drunk.
It was bleak day that we sailed
and the weather didn't improve OF
acquaintance. My ship was a saile'
and required constant handling aloft,
! A fine mist or a 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 a groWl or refused to go at
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, if he gave a man an order
and it wasn't obeyed he gave 1t 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.
| knew trouble was brewing and, giving
! Whittemore a meaning look, dlrecteo
! his attention for'ard. AS for Harden,
| he was below. though had he been on
deck l should not have placed any
! reliance on him. Next l saw man
!, Of the crew CT. the name OF Billings
URGING bis shiDnates to follow him
| aft, starting himself, going few steps
| and returning for more argument. A
! few followed him On some Of these
| incinient advances, but the bulk OF the
i crew hung back. Finally, after
: harannue that could not hear, he
; made another move. and ali but two
or three Of them went with him.
It's not q pleasant sight for one
man with no support but single
! con1raCe out On 4 b,ustery ocean TO
! see a knot Of men. doubtless with arms
concealed, coming to murder him. l.
! made up my mind to sell my lie as
dearly as possible and uncovered re-
voIyer had carried ever since setting
sail Wbittemore came and stood be-
side me. =
). The men had reached the compan.
ionvav 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 90
so, l turned my own eye in the direc-
ton they were looking and saw ship
coming athwart our course. 1t was
she that had arrested the men. Those
bent on. mutiny don't want any wit.
nesses. They stood peering at her,
and as she drew nearer it was plain
that she had suffered rough usage.
Her masts, all except her foremost,
were gone, and that had single sail
set. No one was to be distinguished
on deck until she came within hailing
distance, when through the flying
snowfakes one person was discover
able. !
). At the wheel stood helmsman. The
ship scudded across our course not
hundred yards in advance Of us, and
only the one man was to be seem. He
/ was motionless except for the rolling
of the ship | hailed, but he neither
answered nor turned even to look at
u.s. He was not plainly visible and
only so for few moments, for no
sooner did he reach the nearest point
! to us than snow squall hid both him
= and his ship, and when it thinned the
vessel was but few indistinct lines.
Sailors are the most superstitious
people in the world, and my crew was
of the lowest and most superstitious
! type of sailors. l could see by their
!; appearance that they considered the
passing vessel a phantom and the
Wheelman ghost. .5. t.s.a
! Here was my opportunity. Drawing
!, my revolver and motioning White
more to follow me, l walked briskly
forward. On reaching the forecastle
! l covered Billings with my revolver
J. and ordered him to walk aft. He look
ed at the men for help, but saw that
they were cowed and obeyed the or.
| der. l marched him down the gang
way, and in a few minutes my mates
had him disarmed and in irons Then
4 went again on deck and told the
crew that if they wished to escape a
hanging when we reached port they
!: had better return to duty at once.
Most of them obeyed with alacrity.
Those who showed signs Of giving fur
Their trouble had put in irons by
J the very men thew had been influence
ing to mutiny.
The wind howled that night, and the
next day we got an observation. Find
ing that was far out of my course,
ssput her off considerably. sailing in the
direction Of the phantom. In another
day we overhauled her. As we
came up astern Of her we saw her
name, the Aida Of Tacoma, Wash.
There was the man still at the wheel,
but not another person in sight
drew up beside her. as near as dared,
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