Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-12-07

captain but alter pause he thought
better Of it, The odds against him
wern too heavy.
"I'll put the violin in my box, sir"
he said with a voice so quiet that 1t
was almost gentle, "but so help me
God, If ever we meet after this voy-
age is ended, / mean to kill you"
Coulter laughed disdaihfully and
strobe away, but for ten minutes Law
renee sat silent, his breath coming in
deep gasps, while he wrestled with
the murder madness. We learned ID.
ter that the captain was one Of those
persons whom music frenzies, and
from that time on we did not even
permit ourselves to whistle in the air.
OF all the restless men in the
fo'c's'le, Coulter most keenly watched
one John Hoax, q gigantfs seaman
from Liverpool. In him doomed a 'po.
tential ringleader Of mutiny. One
evening Hoax defiantly and loudly
played music-hall tune on an ac-;
Gordon. A strain Of it reached the
bridge, and Coulter, who was on
watch, ordered the offender forward.
After violent and profane denun-
citation, under which the giant writhed
In silent fury, Coulter dashed out to
the sailors mouth with his clenched
fist and sent him sprawling to the
deck. But lest the punishment should
appear too irresolute, he also put him
in irons for twenty-four hours.
"A. fellow seaman plucked up the he
roism to demand that the incident be
entered on the log for admiralty IN.
vestigation, but Coulter only laughed
and sent the insurgent into the infer
no of the stock.hole for an extra shift
at the shovels. In the stoke-hole the
thermometer registered $50 degrees
Fahrenheit, and the white and brown
torsos that strained under the trenl-
bling dials were black with the sooty
swat of their effort, and red with the
pitiless glare OF the furnace crates.
The cloud on the horizon Of our at.
fairs steadily gathered and blackened
until an ominous pail Of mutiny over
hung us. Only an occasional coral
reef or atoll now broke the monotony
Of q dead and oily sea. No shred Of
cloud relieved the emptiness Of a de.
vitalized sky. M
Mansfield and went about In cam
vas shoes and pajamas. The ship was
more disheveled than we. and its dis
cipline more slovenly than its dress.
The, churlish silence Of the fo'c's1e
was met by braggart autocracy Of the
officers. Conditions grew tenser and
thicker with each day, yet no specific
rupture came to fire the waiting ex-
plosion. Slowly it grew and gathered
menace, while the air hung pulseless
and heavy under its shadow.
Mansfield and knew it needed only
lightning flash tofloose all the ar
tillery of the thunders and set them
about their hell's fury. BY tacit con-
sent we did not ofte6 talk Of It, but
we remained close together and placed
our revolvers, belts, and sheath-knives
where they could be readily caught
up. 81
Under the silent horror Of forebod-
Ing, our nerves became raw. and our
tempers, like those Of others. short
and raspy. ss'
On one sultry afternoon when the
trade.wind was dead, came upon
Mansfield sprawling in the shadow Of
life-boat, diligently reading entries
!; from the unknown girls diary, touch
ing the untroubled incidents Of her
sheltered life. He glanced up shame
facedly as approached. then began
in exculpation.
"See here" he said. you're quite
wrong about the outlines OF reading
this. I'm sure she wouldn't mind.
She's not that sort. Here we are
mehaced by the inferno Of mutiny.
We are no better than mice waiting
the pleasure OF cat which means to
crush them. The atmosphere will
drive us mad. This book Is like q
breeze OF the heather. tell you 1t
helps" HIS
In abnormal times men entertain
abnormal ideas and warped notions.
I sat cross-legged on the deck. beside
him and lighted my pipe. ] said moth.
ing.
.Tt's all getting on my nerves. I'm
losing my grip" he admitted. Last
night dreamed Of nasty row, and
all day a bit Of rime has been running
through my brain" He paused mo,
ment. then quoted: &.
twas cutlas swipe. or an ounce
of lead,
Or yawning hole In . battered
head,
And the scuppers glut with =
| rottlns red.
And there they lay while the
soggy skies,
Dreened all day long in upstar-
I ing eyes,
At murk sunset and at foul sum
rise. 49,
He broke OF and laughed at him.