The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-11-06
A Change of
Commander
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

cancers infested the Spanish main, an
English pirate named Ricketts,, finding
that the Atlantic was becoming poor
hunting ground or account Of the
number Of skull and bones flags on It.
concluded to betake himself to the Pa
cilc. Having weathered the Horn, he
turned his course northwestward In the
hope of falling in with merchantmen
among the many islands lying directly
south Of the equator and east Of Aus
tralia. -
: Ricketts,, though fifty years old, had
never sailed in any except Atlantic
waters. he had been an officer in the
British navy and during the long pc
Rod when the duties Of British war
ships we're to prey on Spanish COM
merce with Spain's possessions in the
new world had acquired a taste for
piracy. This induced him to go into
the business himself. He knew the
north and south Atlantic, their winds,
their currents, their periods of storms,
their fogs and protracted Gains. But
the Pacific was to him an unexplored
tract. "a.@
None of his officers had had any
more experience in the Pacific than
the captain, but one Of them had heard
from sailors who had spent much
time on it that many of those indica-
tons which foretold a change Of
weather were different from those@cn
the Atlantic. The captain, who had
all a B%ritisher's confidence in himself,
secuted the idea that a man who knew
the Atlantic had anything to learn on
the Pacific, and a man who rules a
pirate ship is not to be contradicted.
While approaching the Marquesas
islands Ricketts, fell in with a ship
which he appropriated and compelled
the crew to walk the plank. There
was a gentleman aboard from the col
ony of New York named Fletcher, with
his wife and daughter, and being Brit
ish subjects, Ricketts, concluded to
spare them. There was also a young
sailor, Dargan, whose vigorous appear
ance pleased the captain, and he gave
him his life On condition that he join
the pirate crew. Dargan was an
American, but all his time was spent
at sea in voyages between the East
Indies and Philadelphia.
Dargan, by pretending to sympathize
with the pirates and on account of a
masterful way he had with him, &C.
quired an influence over the pirate
crew.. The captain was a tyrant, and
.thsymen hated him. Nevertheless they
were ignorant of navigation. a knowl-
edge '''cir captain possessed, and re-
quirca his superior intelligence to keep
them from being swung at the end Of
a rope. For these reasons Ricketts,
maintained his ascendancy and felt SO
confident in it that he did not notice
the influence Dargan was gaining over
them.
One afternoon Ricketts, was pacing
the quarterback, nov and again sweep
ing the horizon with his glass in search
of prey. when he heard q voice amid
ships sing out in stentorian tones:
Man the weather braces"
The captain turned with q scowl
to see who except himself dared give
an order on the ship he command
ed and saw Dargan and the men
running for the braces. Before Rick
etts could GOV from his anger and
collect his faculties the braces were
manned and the sailors stood ready
for the next order.
drop those braces!" cried the cap
tain in a fury.
"Hold the braces" said Dargan
calmly. but firmly.
Every mans face turned from OAR
gan to Ricketts,. A few dropped the
braces; the rest held them. Whipping
a pistol from his belt, the commander
fired q shot at Dargan which grazed his
cheek.
"There's a hurricane coming, men,"
said Dargan.> IF you drop the braces
we are lost"
This steadied the men amazingly.
The captains pistol contained but one
ball, so lie could not fire another. The
wind suddenly dropped. and the sails
tapped. Ricketts, looked at the water
to leeward and saw q black line COM
ing.
Haul taut! Haul, every man Of you.
for your livesw cried Dargan.
The yards swung round so as to take
the coming wind. Then suddenly the
stiffness was broken by shrieks in the
rigging above. and the pirate ship ca
reened till the water poured over the
lee gunwale. The crew chung to what
they could catch: the captain was pitch
cd against the rail and lay still with
q broken leg.
The storm was over in a few min
utes; and the sun came out, a harbinger
Of changed conditions for the pirate
ship. Dargan. who was obeyed as
commander. agreed with the crew that
if they would assent to taking the ship
into port he would secur a pardon for
every man except the captain. A
course was then laid to New Zealand.
where a surrender was made. The New
Yorker and his family supported Oar
gan's story. the crew were %pardoned.
and the captain was hanged to the
yardarm.
When Mr.. Fletcher found a ship to
take him and his family to New York.
80 grateful was he to Dargan for the