The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-05-03
ADay Lost
A Story of the international
Date Line.
By CHESTER WILLIAMS.
By CHESTER WILLIAMS.
Copyright. 1910, by American Press
Association.

coming ship. He was a queer looking
old chap with rings in his ears:
1--WE was a-drawin' nigh New Zea-
land. A year afore we'd h'isted an
Choir at Observation-Disclosures 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, in 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 a yawl, boss, and all the men
knowed 1t.
''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 he was a-goin' to do he wouldn't
"a had no trouble He put Mr. With
ers in irons and made a 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.
'sThey tried him, and they convicted
him. He was sentenced to be hanged
to the yardarm at noon on Friday, the
Both day of June, till he was dead, and
God have mercy on that poor soul of
| his'n.
Nov. of all the men aboard that
ship there wasn't none wot thunk
more of Mr. Withers than this mis'a'-
BILE hulk wot stands afore you.
swell, didn't sleep none that night.
jist laid awake and thunk-thunk
wot could | do to stop the hangin
You see, there wasn't no reason for it.
We would reach port in day or two,
and there'd be fair trial But the
cap'n knowed that we could prove his
ignorance of navigation and that I'D
weaken his case. What he wanted wa
to git squar with the man he hated
afore it was too late
"That night goes on a-thinkin'. /
thunk and thunk till / reckoned the
top Of my head I'D split off Mr.. With
ers was to hang the next day but one
at noon. What l was a-drivin' at was
to delay the execution till we could
make port But there wasn't no way
| opened my knowledge chist hun
dred times and shet 1t ag'in without
gittin' nothin' out.
"Jist afore mornin' fell asleep. and
l dreamed-dreamed q sure enough
dream this time. ! amt a-goin' to tell
you wot | dreamed. boss, but that
| dream give an idee. | didn't think
it was much Of an idee at the time
but it was better'n nothin'. and saw
that there was one small chance for
Mr.. Withers. stayed In my ham
mock long enough to think out a plan
to give the prisoner that one chance
and when | turned out l knowed what
was a-goin' for to do.
when four bells in the mornin' was
a-strikin' started aft at the head of
seven men. They was the best men
on the ship. and they was the only
best men. All the rest was worst We
marched aft to the quarterback. where
the cap'n was a-standin', and we all
drawed up in line afore him.
"'Well,' he said, a-sniffln' somethin
In the wind
"'Cap'n.' says l. here's eight of us
come to reccymend a pint of law
'Wot do you know about law. you
lubbers? Git back forrardr
"'Cap'n.' says |. you have given
Mr.. Withers a fair trial. You see, |
concluded to start in favorable and
shift round arterward. 'Cap'n.' says
l, seem as you've given Mr. Withers
fair trial. don't you think you'd orter
give him fair hangin'T
"'Wot do you meanT says he, chang
| in his talk by shiftin' to the left leg
instead of the right.
AZ mean says l. that If you hang
Mr.. Withers tomorrer you'll do it agin
marrytime law
'Marrytime law. Wot do such fish
as you know about marrytime lawr
II reckoned 1t was about time to
shift the wind few points. so | says.
kind Of bracin myself, AS cap'n of
this ere vessel If you permits an ille-
gal execution you'll be liable to be
tried fer murder jist as soon as we
make port
HE changed his tack ag'in and give
his quid grind knowed the matter
didn't rest easy on his mind noway.
for I saw him whiten. Howsumever,
be squared around and lit out on us:
eft this is plan on the part of
murlneera to bold on to Mr.. Withers
to make him master Of this ere ship
! want you to understand that there
aln't a-goin' to be no interference with
| justice. If necessary I'll hang eight
more men, Ans he turned his eye on
US as If he was a-measurin' how much
Of the ships rope would be required
for the Job.
There amt no SIGH intention. cap'n.
There's valid reason why Mr.. With
ers' hangin' tomorrer II be contrary
wise to good law"
"'Wot is it? he yelled. He was a.
gittin' mad fast
Mr.. Withers has been sentenced
by the court to hang at noon on Fri
day. the Both of June There won't be
no SIGH day fer u.s. This ERE ship left
Wellington a year ago and has been
a-sailin' and a-sailin', till we've gone
clean round the globe. You're nayiga-
tor enough to know, cap'n. that we've
lost one day In our reckOnin'. Tonight
Wen cross the international date line
and jump day in our record. 1t
won't be Friday. June 30. but Satur-
day, July L.
Boss, you'd oughter seen the way
he looked at me when said that 1t
seemed as If the idee struck him hard.
"'This is Thursday he said, amt
itY