Smyrna times., 1910-09-14

A Day Lost
, A Story of the international
Date Line.
By CHESTER WILLIAMS.
Copyright. 1910, by American Press
Association


An old salt told me this story while
was waiting on the dock for an in
couiitr ship. He was queer looking
old chap with rings in his ears:
I'VE was a-drawin' nigh New Zea-
land. A year afore we'd h'isted an
chOr at WellingtOn-W WellingtOn's a
town in New Zealand. bOss-and arter
goin' clear round this ere globe a-ship- |
pin cargoes in heather lands and |
a-sellin' 'em in Christian lands we was
a-gittin' back to where we'd started |
from TO settle up with the owners.
Our cap'n knowed well enough how
to trade. but he wasn't nowhere at
navigation. He'd been one year afore
the mast when his brother, i'll the soap
boilin' line. up and died and left him
| $4,000. He put the lump in with the
owners of the Polly Milford and got
the command. He warn't fit to COM
| mand yawl. boss, and all the men
| knowed it.
They made & plan to seize the wes-
| sci and put the second officer Mr..
Withers. in command. Now. Mark
| Withers didn't have nothin' to do with
the mutiny. fer he didn't know nOthin
at all about it. He was the best man
you ever sailed under. boss-kind and
| conSiderin' to the men and with a
head like sperit level with the bub-
BILE always in the middle. That was
jist the kind of man the cap'n I'd
almost hate. and he hated Mr.. Withers
like piZen.
"Well. jiSt afore the mine was ready
to spring some of the men weakened
and give away the hull thing. Now.
if the cap'n had managed the sailin'
of the ship as well as he managed
wot be was a-goin to do he wouldn't
a had no trouble He put Mr.. With
ers in irons and made IL court out Of
the men wot give the plot away. and
they understood well enough that If
they didn't find Mark Withers guilty
every mothers son of 'em I'd have
to stand trial when we made port.
They tried him. and they convicted
Kim He was sentenced to he hanged
to The yardarm at noon on Friday. the
39th Gay of Jure. till he was dead. and
Gcd have mercy on that poor soul CT
his'n
Now. OF nil the men aboard that
sEip there wasn't none wot thuEs
;. r.r"p Of I.r Withprs than this mis'a'
, BE hulk wot stands afOre you.
We'll, | didn't sleep none that night
iist laid awake and thunk-thunL
wOt could ! DO to stop the hangin'
= You see. there wasn't no reason for it
}. We would reach TDrt in a day or two
ard thered be a fair trial But th'
cap'n knowed that we could prove hi
ignorance of navigation and that III
. weaken his case What he wanted wa
TO git squar' with the man he hate'
afcre it was too late.
:. ''That night | goes on a-thinkin
, thunk and thunk till reckoned III
. tcD Of my head nd split off Mr.. Will
5 cTs was to hang the next day but on
III noon. What was a-drivin' at wa
70 delay the execution till we coul
make port. But there wasn't no wa!
opened my knowledge chist 4 hun
dred times and shet it agin withoJ
10 G;ttin' nothin' out.
O, "Jist afOrc mOrnin' / fell asleep. an
<. ! drca camed-dreamed a sure enOug
in .lr2an this time | amt a-goin' to te
YOU wot dreamed. boss. but tn;
dream give an idee didn't thin
K was much of an idee ut the tim
y but it was better'n nothin'. and | sa
- that there was ore small chance fl
Nr. Withers. stayed in my har
- mock long enough to think out a pla
TO give the prisoner that one chanC
and when turned out knowed VIII
- | was a-g0in' for to do.
when four bells in the mornin' W
I-strikin' | started aft at the head
seven men. They was. the best N,
on the ship. and they was the on
best men. All the rest was worst.
marched aft to the quarterback. whe
the capn was a-standin'. and we
drawed up in line afore him.
well he said. a-sniffin' someth
in the wind.
"'Cap'n.' says l. here's eight of
come to reccymend a pint of law
"'Wot do you know about law. Y
lubbers? Git back forrardv
"'Cap'n.' says l. you have Civ
Mr.. Withers a fair trial. You see
VA. concluded to start in favorable a
shift round arterward. 'Cap'n,' So
|, seem as you've given Mr. With
.- a fair trial. don't you think you'd or
give him a fair hangin'?
IL "'Wot do you meanT says he, cha
Ill in his talk by shi'tin' to the left
II instead of the rigI..
"T mean says |. that If you b;
Mr.. Withers tomorrer you'll do it a
marrytime law
lYp "'Marrytime law! Wot do such
~ as you know about marrytime law?
81 reckoned it was about time
prses ness shift the wind a few points. so So
Thor kind of bracin myself. AS cap'n
.iIIad inei this ere vessel IL you permits an
col gal execution you'll be liable to
hust- +rtoJ for murder fist as soon as