Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-23

w WITH the topSailS and foreSails
NA/ pulling steadily, the ship
NV began to run her casting
down in splendid style.
Within couple Of hours,
the dull, blue ridge of the South Amer
lean coast line had faded out of sight,
and by nightfall the Denbigh Castle
was a hundred miles to eastward of 1t.
The mems spirits quickly rose. Their
principal Joy now seemed to be to gaze
over the side and watch the vessels
long, narrow hull reeling through the
mountainous slopes of water. For
weeks they had longed to see her max
ing such progress, and now, without
thinking of the thousands of miles Of
ocean they had yet to traverse, they
were content to know that every hour
increased their distance from the ac-
cursed vicinity of Cape Horn.
But as the days passed, their previous
ill luck seemed to return. The westerly
winds upon which the captain had
placed such reliance when deciding to
run his vessel the other way about be-
came light and cratic. The runs"
dropped from 800 miles day to 200,
$50, and even less. And then came a
spell of easterly weather, with the yards
braced sharp up on the backstays once
more.
Can't. Evans was now compelled to
place the crew on strict rations to make
sure that the provisions would hold out
He had been anxious to keep the men
working, holystoning decks, chipping
and scaling rust, securing bright work
ANYTHING to prevent their broodlng over
their sorry plight. But with the ration
ing they refused absolutely to do
hands turn beyond what work was nee
essary actually to sail the ship, and he
deemed it inadviSable to compel them TO
do so.
During the succeeding days they sat
around from morning to night in de-
iected attitude, sucking at their pipes.
A deadly, monotonous gloom settled on
the vessel. What books the ships IL
brary could boast of were read ana re-
read and then slung overheard IN utter
disgust. Shipmates came to loathe the
sight of one another's faces. and some
times it required only black look 10
start scrap"
DY the time the ship reached the
ID longitude of the Cape tobacco had
run out altogether, and provisions were
50 low that the daily rations had to be
augmented with a variety OF albatross
dishes-unsavory dishes even for the
famished.
The crew became listlesS, holloW-eyed,
emaciated. They pulled on the ropes
in an ominous silence, without putting
their weight into the work. The officers
orders. such as Square the Gro jack
wards" and lee fore-brace," were re-
ceived with angry mutterings and
threats of refusal to obey. The captain
became anxious; so much so, even Wnen
the breeze freshened from the westward,
he kept the ship under reduced canvas,
doubling the crews capacity to get the
sail of her In an emergency.
Such caution. however, did not COM
mend itself to the men. Better to take
the sticks out of her, and drown the lot
of us, than drift around like crab and
die of starvation" one of the crew de-
clared. Finally one bright spark in the
focsle lit on novel manner OF impart-
ing to the captain the fact that his eau
ton was not finding favor with the
hands.
A couple of white feathers we're pluck
ed from the wing of captured alba
trosS and sent aft by the steward in an
envelope addressed to the captain,
with the crews best respects and COM
pliments" Captain Evans was furious,
of course and ordering all hands to
muster aft Immediately, he demanded
an explanation.
well. sir, it's like this ERE" said
M, the spokesman. " Ere we are
seven months at sea, short o. grub.
without tobacco, and with fair wind
and no sail set to speak of. One O.
them feathers is from the port watch,
tother from the Starboard. We just
sent 'em along to sort of inform you
that we think you're showing the white
feather by being afraid to give 'er the
canvas"
Captain Evans was completely taken
aback by such insolence and insubordi-
nation. A deep flush of humiliation suf-
fused his countenance. The two officers
who stood alongside him clenched
their fists and glared threateningly at the
men. The chief mate took step for
ward dark scowl on his face, his right
arm partially appraised as though he
would strike down the speaker But the
captain restrained him.
Leave this to me-" he said, quietly.
Then, facing the crowd with steely
gaze that seemed to look straight into
every individual pair of eyes in front of
him, he addressed them.
do you realize, you fools who would
teach me my business" he demanded,
that the glass is about as low as 1t can
be? Am to risk being caught in
hurricane squat under press of canvas
with a crew who seem incapable of pull