The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-05
, knock blazes out of 'em.

See now"
made no answer to these remarks:
and. being a lover of peace. 1 resolved
that l would strike no one on board if
| could possibly avoid it.
of course. ! was Obliged to keep the
sailors at work according to the rules
laid down by the skipper, who. with
the assistance of Read. the chief mate.
made things decidedly uncomfortable
for u crew. The men never got an
afternoon watch below, and were kept
at work all through their night watch.
es on deck. Indeed, on one occasion
they were sent aloft to scrub the top
sail yards during a bowling gale of
wind. Hicks and Read hullied and
drove them all the time. and if a man
gave a back answer he was knocked
down with a handspike. Had the crew
been all of the same nationality they
would probably have organized a
mutlny early in the voyage But Cap
tain Hicks always took care to pick a
mixed crew; and among the monde
script ang that filled the rs fore
a good beating because of their gener-
al Shortcomings, which fact. however.
does not excuse the cruel behavior of
the skipper and his mate.
The Twas a difficult ship to steer.
and Chief Mate Read had a pleasant
trick of whacking the hellnsman over
the head with the end of the boom
One day he treated a Chilean sailor
called Mendana in this manner. The
Chilean went forward with murder In
his heart. and there is no doubt that
if he had seen a chance he would have
killed the mate; but that officer was
always armed with a revolver. and
therefore Medano hesitated to draw
1 ,,- .-,S~ ,,~x:I -~-1 -F
fered. However. when The rest of the
crew saw hat h Chilean was lying
in wait for a chance to get square
they heartened up a bit; and that
night, while passing the forecastle
hatchway, ] overheard Jim Mcguire.
a Bowery New Yorker. addressing the
remainder of his watchmates.
we've had enough of this sorter thing.
and if either of them Down-East
hligh,ers touches me I'm a-goin for
him: an | want YOU fellers to chip in
with me. We oughter dump EN- both
overheard some night"
This seemed to the mon to be a
step in the right direction, and l heard
several OF them promising to help
Mcguire when the time came to
that he would cut 'enl plenty deep"
Taking her fore and AFT. l came to
the conclusion that the Z carried a
Very choice lot of people.
I had no liking for either Hicks or
Read, Vet. being an officer of the ship,
it was clearly my duty To report to
them that a mutinN was being
Matched. This I did the same night.
Now. in the first instance, both my
superior officers had expressed their
disgust at what they termed my
namby-pamy style of treating h
men in my watch. Yet. strangely
enough. they evidently horeme NJ i'll
will; on the contrary, they appeared
to wish to be on good terms with me.
Goodness knows why this brace of
brutal rutfians should entertain
friendly feelings toward myself; new
ertheless. the fact remains that they
did go. and while serving as second
mate of that floating hell l had no
cause to complain of my own treat
ment.
They We're together in the main
cabin when | made my report of what
l had overheard forward.
There's a talk of mutiny among
the men, captain" said L. while
passing the forescuttle | heard them
arranging to show fight if got or Mr..
Read lay hands on any of them
again."
Joshua Hicks smiled grimly. ooh,
that's their lay, is it?" he cried. Il
guess we know how to deal with that
bunch of riff-raff if they start in to
play up" And he slapped his hip
pocket. wherein he carried a revolver.
Guess you'll he right with us if
you're wanted. eh, Mr.. Bland?' in
quirod h chief mate.
Yes" l answered. 1--WE shipped
here as second mate, worse luck; but
Ill do my duty and fight for the af-
ter-end if it ONE to downright NUT
my, All the safmr. if YOU hadn't
treated the men So badly there would
be no talk of mutiny.''
That's all right" said Read. You
amt hin in these sorter packets before
an YOU don't know how to run EN-"
NO. thank hcaven." / retorted, and
so the matter dropped.
The fracas started next morning,
during my watch below. l was asleep
at the time. but the uproar soon
brought me on deck. When the trouble
commenced the ship had her light sails
furled and was staggering along before
a heavy following sea. 1t was blowing
half a gale and she vas running IL
knots. With the wind on her starboard
quarter. The sailor Mcguire was at
the wheel. and the other men of his
watch We're holystoning the top of the
forward deckhouse. With such a heavy
sea on her quarter the ship was steer
ins pretty wild, and it appear that
Mcguire didn't keep her straight
enough to suit the particular Mr..
Read. Therefore that officer banged
him with a ropes end.
Mcguire let go the wheel spokes.
and. leaving the helm halfway up,
went for his assailant with the fury
Of a cyclone. Nov, the mate was a
tall, muscular man. strong and springy
AS a p%ine-spart. Moreover. he posses
scd about as ugly a face as l have ever
seen on a mana jaw like a bulldog,
buShy eyebrows and wicked little eyes,
Indeed, he looked Just what he was. a
real hard citizen and a tough fighting
man.
His encounter with Mcguire could
hardly be termed IA fight; for. as the
sailor came AZ him. Read whipped a
h~elaying-pin from the leg of his sea
boot and tlattened the unfortunate
mutineer out with a stunning blow on
his head.
When the row started the rest of