Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1914-12-02
AGhange
o1ll1,ancler
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

that the Atlantic was becoming poor
hunting ground OH account of the
number of skull and bones aags on Ii,
concluded to bct;ke llilnself To- the pa
cifc- Having we:tbered tie Horn. lie
turned his course mort hWestWarslin the
5hope OF falling III with Merchantmen
among the many is!:lIds lying directly
south of the equator and east of Aus
traii;l.
Ricketts,. though fifty years old. had
never sailed in amy except Atlantic
waters. He had been an otficer:in the
British navy and during the long Pc
Rod when the duties of British war
ships We're to prey Oh Spanish com
merce with SPANS 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 calms. But
the Pacific was to him. an unexplored
tract
None of his officers had had any
!
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 change of
weather We're different from those on
the Atlantic, The captain. who had
all 4 Britisher's confidence in himself,
secuted the idea that Il man who knew
the Atlantic had anything to learn on
the Pacific, and Il man who rules a
pirate ship is not to be 5contradicted.
While approaching the Marquesas
islands Ricketts, fell in with ship
which he appropriated and compelled
the crew to walk the plank. There
was q gentleman aboard from the col
ony of New York named Fletcher, with.
his wife and daughter. and being Brit
ISL 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 Vas an
Americans but all his time was spent
at sea in VOYAGES between the East
Indies and Philadelphia. f S3ssss
Dargan. bysi5retending TO syInpathizeS
with the pirates and on account Of a..
|masterfnl way he had with him, acss,
lnired an Influence over the ]. pirate
rev. The captain, was a tyrant,Ssand
the men hated him. w. Neperthe they
We're ignorant of.yn:lv ga tion. a knoW;l,.;
edge their :il,tain possessesl, and
yiaired HIS superior init nces to keep
Stlienl from being sW lla
~ rope or these. reils
naintained his ascendape and felt So +
contidentsilr it that he ditllsnots notice
the inf l,ci'eesl) bargain was gaining over
them o. ss .is X sssesssss s$.5
u.s. One afternoon !, Issicket ttsss was pacing
the qlarterdec lsiay I; ma gain sweep
Ing the horizon zwith his glass in search
OF prey When he heard d voice Il mid
ships sing out, in stentorian tones
3. I Man the Weat herss bra ce.s s. 81
The captain turned with a scoWlt
10 j. see Who. except himself dared give
an order ON the ship he command
ed and slsa M Dargan and the men
running Tor The bsae es:; BEFORE Rick
etts could recover from his anger ana
collect his faculties the braces were
manned and the sailors stood ready
for the next order. 81 So, ~ : I ).
Drop those braces!'' cried the cap
3rain in 4 fury. 3s
Hold the. braces. = said Dastrr1g2;an
calmly, but firmly. 80. ) + s3s,.:
Every mans face turned from Bar
gan. to Ricketts,. A few dropped the
braces: the rest dheld them. Whipping
u pistol from his belt. the commander
ilred a shot at Dargan which 4gsrazed his
cheek
There's a hurricane coming, men,
said Dargan. II you drop the braces
we are lost
This steadied the men amazingly
The captains pistol contained but one
ball. so he could not fire another. The
wind suddenly dropped, 4 and the sails
tapped. Ricketts, looked at the water
to leeNard and saw black line com
ing
Haul taut! Haul. every man OF you.
for your Ives cried Dargall. ~ s S.. 8
The yards swung round so as to- take
the coming wind Then suddenly the
stiffness was broken by shrieks in the
rigging above.sand the pirate ship ca
feened till the water poured over the
lee gunWale.s The crew clung to what
they could catcll; the captain was pitch
ed against the rail and lay still with
n broken leg.
The storm was over In. a few min
ntes. and the sun came out. a h;lrbinger
of changed conditions for the pirate
ship Dargan, who was obeyeti as
agreed with the crew, that
il they would assent to taking the ship
into port he would secure a pardon for /
every man except the captain
course was then laid to New Zealand,
where Il surrender was made. The New
Yorker and his family supported OAR
gan's story. the crew We're pardoned.
and the captain WAS hanged to the
vardarnl.
A<.l I,