American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-06-15

western ocean. Knot after knot, haw-
ser after hawser, came over the bows
and numbered the deck.
They would have passed them over
the stern as fast as they came in were
they not salyors with litigation ahead.
for their hands must be clean when
they entered their claim, and to this
end Elisha cIalkel ont the longitude
daily at noon and showed It to the
steamer, always receiving a thankful
acknowledgment On the whistle. He
secured the figures by his dead reck
oning, but the carefully kept logbook
also showed longitude by chronometer
sights, taken when the sun shone, with
his old quadrant and older watch, and
corrected to bring a result plausibly
near to that OF the reckoning by log
and compass.
The coming up to the bow of an an
Choir chain of six inch link told them
that the end was near, that the steam
er had exhausted her supply of tow
lines and that her presumably SANE
skipper would not give them his last
means Of anchoring, the other chain.
The steamer ceased her coyness. and
her crew watched from the taffrail,
while those impiacable, %purposeful men
behind crept up TO them
On a calm, still night they finally I'm
shipped the windlass brakes and look
ed up at the round black stern of the
steamer not fifty feet ahead The.
were surrounded by lights Of OUTGOING
and incoming craft. and they knew by
%soundings taken that day. when the
steamer had slowed down for the same
purpose. that they We're within tho
hundred fathom curve close to tho
mouth IF the English channel but NOT
within the three mile limit Rejoicing
at the latter fact, they armed then
selves to "a man with Delaying pins
from their still intact pin rails and
climbed out On the cable. the whole
eighteen of them. man following
in close climbing order
Nov, LOOK here" said "a p9rtly man
with a gilt bound cap to the leader Of
the line as lie threw a leg over the taft
rail, what's the meaning. may l ask
of this unreasonable cou1uctf"
You may ask. " course. said the
man-it was Eli-ba-"but we'd ike
to ask something too" lie was spar
ring for time Until more should arrive.l
We'd like to ask why you drag US
across the Atlantic ocean against our
will"
Another man climbed aboard and
said:
Yes, we gree to steer you into New
York. You's adrif' In de trough Of de
sea, an you got no chronometer. an
you can't navigate. an we come long
under command. mind you-an' give
you u towline an tell you de road to
port. VIVA you mean by dis?
Tut, tut, my colored friendy' an
swered the man Of gilt. You were
dismasted and helpless, and | gave you
a tow. 1t was on the high seas, and
1 chose the port. as l had the right"
Another climbed on board.
We were not helpless" rejoined
Elisha. I'VE had a good jury rig I'M
der the bows. and we let it go to assist
you Are you the skipper hereT'
Il am"
Martins big fist smote him heavily In
the face. and the blow was followed
by the crash Of Elisha's Delaying pin
on his head. The captain fell and for
awhile lay quiet. There were four big.
strong men over the rail now and 9th
ers coming. Opposing them were a Sec
ond mate. an engineer, a fireman, coal
passer. Waterman. steward and cook
easy victims to these big limbed fisher
men. The rest of the crew were on
duty below decks or at the steering
winch. 1t was a short, sharp battle
A few pistol shots exploded. but no
one was hurt, and the firearms were
captured and their owners well ham
mered with Delaying pins; then, bind
ing all victims as they overcame them.
the whole party raided the steering
winch and engine room. and the piracy
was complete
Amos, the eX-engineer. announced 70
the captives that, with all due respect
for the law. national and international.
they would take that distressed steam
boat into New York and deliver her to
the authorities, with a claim for sal
wage.
When the infatuated English captain
now recovered. had exhausted his stock
Of adjectives and epithets he Informed
them hat there was neither food nor
coal for the run to New York. to which
Elisha replied that. if so, the foolish
and destructive waste would be prop.
erly entered in the logbook and might
form the basis Of a charge Of barratry
by the underwriters if # turned out
that any underwriters had taken a risk
On a craft with such an "all fred luna
tic" for a skipper as this.
The men then towed the schooner
alongside and moored her They tran
shipped their clothing and what was
left of the provisions. They also took
the logbook and charts. compass. emp.
ty outer chronometer case. which Eli
sha handled tenderly and oficiously by