The Lambertville record., 1910-03-09
A Day Lost
A Story OF the International
Date Line.
By CHESTER WILLIAMS.

By CHESTER WILLIAMS
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

Association. o
oooooooooooooo oooooooooooooo
An old salt told me this story while
| was waiting ON the dock for an In.
coming ship. He WAS 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
chor at Wellington-W Wellington's
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 ct to COM
mand II yawl, boss, and all the men
knowed 1t.
"Fhey made a 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 1t. He was the best man
you ever sGiled under. boss-kind and
considerln' to the men and with
head like sperit level with the bub-
BILE always In the middle. That was
list the kind of man the cap'n nd
almost hate. aud 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,
II the eap'n had managed the sailIn
of the ship as well ms 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 court out of
the men wet give the plot away, and
they understood well enough that II
they didn't find Mark Withers guilty
every mothers son of 'em ud have
to stand trial when we made port.
.'They tried him, and they convicted
him. He was sentenced to be hanged
to the yarderm at noon on Friday, the
30th 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 thunls
more OF Mr.. Withers than this mis'a'
bic hulk wot stands afore you.
well. didn't sleep none that night
l list laid awake and thunk-thunli
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 nd
weaken his case. What he wanted was
to git squar' with the man he hated
nfore 1t was too late.
THAT night l 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 ! was a-drivIn' Mt was
TO delay the execution Til we could
make port. But there wasn't no way
| opened my knowledge ehist hun,
dred times ana shet It ag'in without
gittin' nothln' out.
"Jist afore mornin fell asleep, and
l reamed-drcamed sure enough
dream this time amt a-goin' to tell
you wot dreamed. boss, but that
dream give an idee. ! didn't think
1t was much of an idee at the time,
but II was better'n nothin', and l saw
that there was one small chance for
Mr.. Withers. stayed In my ham
mock long enough to think out plan
to give the prisoner that one chance.
and when | turned out knowed what
was a-goln' for to do.
when four bells In the mornIn' was
a-strikin' | started aft at the head oe
seven men. They was the best men
on the ship, and they was the only
best men. All the rest was worst. W,
marched aft to the quarterback. where
the cap'n was a-standin'. and VIC all
"'Well,' he said, n-snifIin' sometbin'
In the wind.
"'Cap'n.' says l, here's eight Of us
come to reccymend pint OF law
"'Wot do you know about law. you
lubbers? Git back forrardr
"'Capn.' says I, you have given
Mr.. Withers fair trial. You see,
concluded to start In favorable and
shift round arterward. 'Capn,' says
I, 'seeln' as you've given Mr. Withera
fair trial, don't you think you'd orter
give him fair hangin'Y
"'Wot do you meanY says he, chang
in his talk by shiftin' to the left leg
instead Of the right.
"I mean says l. that lf you hang
Mr.. Withers tomorrcr you'll do 1t agin
marrytime law
"MarrytIme law! Wot do such fish
as you know about mnrrytlme lawr
II reckoned It was about time to
shift the wind few points, so says,
kind OF bracln' myself AS cap'n Of
this ere vessel II you permits an ille-
gal execution you'll be liable to be
tried fer murder jist as soon as we
make port
Gle changed his tack ag'in and give
his quid a grind. knowed the matter
didn't rest easy on his mind noway,
for saw him whiten. Howsumever,
he squared around and lit out on us:
"If this Is plan on the part of