The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1921-12-15

From the first hour ON board, DyCk
Calhoun had fitted in; with Il discern
ing eye he had understood The seamen's
needs and the weaknesses of the syS-
TEN.
The months he had spent between
his exit from prison and his entrance
into the Ariadne had roughened,
though not coarsened, Dyck's outward
appearance From his first appearance
among the seamen he had SET himself
to become their leader. His enlist
ment was for three years, and he meant
that tlGse three should prove The final
success of this naval enterprise, or the
stark period In Il calendar of tragedy.
The life of the sailor, with It's coarse
ness and drudgery, its inadequate pay,
its evil-smelling food. lis mugguty
bread, its beer drawn from casks that
once had held oil or fish. lis sinking
salt-meat barrels, the hideous stencil
Of the ge-water-all this could in
one sense be no worse than his suffer
ings In jail. In spite of sclf-ronlrol,
Jail had been TO him the depreciation
of his hopes, the humiliation Of his
manhood He had suffered cold, damp
ness. fever, and Indigestion there, and
1t had Slapped the fresh fiber of life
in linn.
From the moment Dyck arrived on
board the Ariadne he WIS a marErd
man. Ferens. DISTINGUISHED solici-
tor, who knew his story, spread the IN
wholesome truth about him among the
ships people, and he received attcn-
lions at once offensive and tiattering
The best educated Of the ships hnnd>
approached him on the grievances With
which the whole navy WIS stirring.
Something had put new spirit in
TO the life of his ma jesty's ships; it
was. in sense. the reflection of the
French Revolution and Tom Paine's
Age of REASON" What the Ameri-
cans had done in establishing ii repub.
| lie, what France was doing by her
! revolution, got into the veins and
| minds of some men in England, hut it
got into the veins and minds of the
sailor first; for, however low his origin.
he had intercourse not given To the
! average lundsman. He visited foreign
ports, lie came in touch with other Gle
| ments than those of British life and
! character.
OF all the ships In the navy the
Ariadne was the best that Dyek Cnl.
houn could have entered. Her Off
! GERS were humane and friendly, yet
! H1.It in tIt.tt
! mulny came they would BE- treated
well. The agitation on the AriadHc
| in support of the grievances OF the
/ sailors WIS so moderate lhat from
the first. Dyek threw in his lot with
! it. terens. the former solicitor. first
! came to him with Il list of proposals,
! which only repeated the demands made
by the agitators n Spilhead.
you're new among u.s." said Fer
! ems Ia Dyck. you don't quite know
/ what we've been doing. suppose
Some of us have been In the navy for
two Years. and, some tor EN-. There
are men on this ship who could tell
| yuu' stories that would make your
/ tIoud run cold--take my word for IT,
! There's lot of things goin' on thai
: uughtn't to be goln' ON. The time has
i come for reform.
! Things are novin', aud we've got
j Ia take our stand now when the Tim,
/ is ripe for It, or else lose II forever
over at Spithcad they're eettin their
own way. Tie government are guiu
10 send the admiralty board down here
because our admiral says Ia Them thnl
it won't be snfe goin unless HEY do
And what are we going 10 do hcrrt
asked Dyrk. "Whats The game of tho
feet at the Noref'
Ferens replied In n low voice.
"Our men are goiu' To send out pc
titions-to the admiralty aud to til"
house of commons"
"Why don't you try Lord Howe
! Hes not I'm command of fleet
now. Besides, petitions have been sent
him. and he's taken no notice.
"IlOwel No nOtlcc--the hesl admiral
we ever had | don't believe H. dc
/ clarcd Dyck saNagely "Why, the whole
navy believes In Howe. They haven't
forgotten Whit lie ulu III u lie rs
, near to the seaman as the seaman is
~ his mother. He's a big enough
friend of the sailor to waste TO tim"
before doing his turn"
FereDs shook his head moresrly.
THAT may be- hc said, hui tie pc
titl0la were sent weeks ago. and
there's no sign from Lord Howe. He
vas at Bath for govt My idea is he
referred them TO the admiral com
mandlng ut Portsmouth, aud was told
that behind the whole thing is c0nsplr-
acy-French socialism aud English
politics. | give you my word there's
no French agent in the fleet. and II
there were, II wouldn't have any eff
feet. Our mems grievances are not
new. They're as old as Cromwell
Suddenly light Of suspicion flashed
into Eerens' fuce.
You're with us, aren't YOU! You see
the wrongs we've suffered, and how
bad 1t all Isl Yet you haven't been OH