The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-05-13
LOW A MUTINY
WAS AVERTED.
copyright, 1909, by American Press Asso-
ciatiOn.l

! did ! sail with such forebOdings. It
was late in the season. and we had
! picked up crew in San Francisco
such as no officer would be pleased to
! 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 had
been spending some time ashore be-
tween cruises, frequenting the lowest
dives in the city, and when they came
aboard they were drunk.
1t was q bleak day that we sailed.
and the weather didn't improve on
acquaintance. My ship was a sailer
and required constant handling aloft
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 a growl or refused to go at
all. My first mate, Whittemore, and I
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 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.
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
J reliance on him. Next ! saw man
, of the crew OF the name Of Billings
urging his shipmates to follow him
aft, starting himself, going a few steps
and returning for more argument. A
! few followed him on some of these
7 incipient advances, but the bulk OF the
} crew hung back. Finally, after
harangue that could not hear, he
made another move, and all but two
or three of them went with him.
It's not pleasant sight for one
: man with no support but single
comrade out on a bustery ocean to
see knot Of men, doubtless with arms
concealed, coming to murder him. 1
l made up my mind to sell my life as
dearly as possible and uncovered re-
: volyer had carried ever since setting
;, sail. Whittemore came and stood be-
q side me.
: The men had reached the compan-
ionway when one Of them caught sight
Of something on the port quarter. 9th
e ers turned to look, and one by one
r they stopped. Thinking 1t safe to do
q so, turned my own eye in the direc-
4 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
I that she had suffered rough usage.
: Her masts, all except her foremast,
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 a
;. 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. l hailed, but he neither
:, answered nor turned even to look at
us. He was not plainly visible and
: only so for a few moments, for no
' sooner did he reach the nearest point
to us than a 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 phantom and the
q wheelman ghost.
Here was my opportunity. Drawing
! my revolver and motioning White
: more to follow me, l walked briskly
forward On reaching the forecastle
!" covered Billings with my revolver
). 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. Their
= l went again on deck and told the
: crew that if they wished to escape 9
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
ther trouble | had put in irons by
the very men they had been induenc
y ing to mutiny.
The wind howled that night. and the
:, next day we got an observation. Find
! ing that l was far out Of my course,
put 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 hel
I, 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
), and, examining the helmsman through
q glass; saw that he was stone dead