Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-15

There were mothers and brothers and
sisters, and aunts and cousins to ex-
| press various opinions on the subject.
| but as to what they severally advised
| history is silent
We know only that on a bright MAY
morning in 1885, John, Lord Crevstol,e.
and Lady Alice sailed from Dover on
| their way to Africa
A month later they arrived at Free
| town, where they chartered a small sail
ing vessel the Fuwalda, which was to
bear them to their final destination.
And here John. Lord Greystoke. and
Lady Alice, his wife. vanished from the
eyes and from the knowledge OF men
Two months after they weighed ancho
and cleared from the port Of Freetown a
half dozen British war vessels were
securing the South Atlantic for trace OF
them or their little vessel, and 1t was
almost Immediately that the wreckage
was found upon the shores OF st. Helena
which convinced the world that the
Fuwalda had gone down with all on
board, and hence the search was stop
ped ere IL had scarce begun; though hone
fingered in longing hearts for many
years.
The Fuwalda, n barkentine of about
100 tons, was vessel OF the type often
seen In coastwise trade in the far south
ern Atlantic, their crews composed OF the
offscourngs of the sea-unhanged muir
every nation.
The Fuwalda was no exception to the
rule. Her officers were swarthy bullies
hating and hated by their crew. The cap
tain, while n competent seaman was a
brute In his treatment OF his men, He
knew. or at least he used, but two argu-
ments in his dealings with them-a be-
laying pin and a revolver-nor Is It likely
that the motley aggregation he signed
would have understood aught else.
So 1t was that from the second day out
from Freetown John Clayton and his
young wife witnessed scenes upon the
deck of the Fuwalda such as they had
believed were never enacted outside the
covers of printed stories of the sea.
1t was on the morning of tho second
day that the first link was forged Of
what was destined to form chain of
circumstances ending in a life for one
then unborn such as has probably never
been paralleled in the history of man.
Two sailors were washing down the
decks of the Fuwalda, the first mate was
on duty, and the captain had stopped to
speak with John Clayton and Lady Alice.
The men were working backwards to-
ward the little party who we're facing
away from the sailors Closer and closer
they came, until one of them was directly
behind the captain. In another moment
he would have passed by and this strange
narrative had never been recorded.
But just that instant the officer turned
to leave Lord and Lady GreystolSe. and,
as he did so. tripped against the sailor
and sprawled headlong upon the deck.
overturnlng the water-pail so that he was
drenched in it's dirty contents.
For an instant the scene was ludlcrous;
but only for an instant. With volley of
awful oaths, his face suffused with the
scarlet OF modification and rage, the cap
tain regained his feet, and with n terrific
blow felled the sailor to the deck.
The man was small and rather old. so
that the brutality of the act was thus ac-
was neither old nor small-a huge bear OF
great bull neck set between massive
shoulders.
AS he saw his mate go down he
crouched. and. with low snarl, sprang
upon the captain, crushing him to his
knees with single mighty blow.
From scarlet the officers face went
white. for this was mutiny; and mutlny
he had met and subdued before in his
brutal career
Without waiting to rise he whipped n
revolver from his pocket. firing point
blank at the great mountain of muscle
towering before him; but, quick as he
was John Clayton was almost as quick,
so that the bullet which was intended for |
the sailors heart lodged in the sailors |
leg instead. for Lord Greystoke had
struck down the captains arm as he |
had seen the weapon flash in the sun.
Words passed between Clayton and the |
captain, the former making 1t plain that |