Part 39 (1/2)

”Yes, but--”

”I don't want to hear your excuses or your reasons. That's mutiny,”

the lieutenant said, simply. Then, turning to the captain, he said,

”Do you accuse him of mutiny?”

”Yes,” the master answered, ”he mutiny.”

”Put the irons on him, Quartermaster,” said the lieutenant, and handcuffs were snapped on the first mate's wrist.

[Ill.u.s.tration: STRANDED! AFTER STORM HAS CEASED AND TIDE HAS EBBED.

The end of a gallant bark driven on a lee sh.o.r.e, but from which the Coast Guard rescued every one on board.

Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard.]

”Any more of your men mutiny, Captain?” asked the lieutenant.

”I tell you whole story,” the s.h.i.+pmaster answered. ”You speak Italian?”

”French,” the Coast Guard officer answered, ”but not Italian.”

”French? Fine!” the captain replied, and stepping forward, he told the story of the trip. It appeared that the s.h.i.+p had part of her cargo consigned to Vera Cruz, consisting of cartridges, designed for the Mexican government. The mate had practically seized the s.h.i.+p and demanded that the captain sail her to Puerto Mexico, one of the southern ports, in the hands of the Zapatistas. The Mexican rebel general was to pay a good price for the ammunition, and then the captain was to be allowed to proceed with the s.h.i.+p unmolested on the rest of his cruise.

As the ammunition had been s.h.i.+pped from an American port, the Coast Guard lieutenant realized that complications might ensue. Accordingly, since it was only a few hours' run to Apalachicola, and the wind was fair, the lieutenant advised the Italian captain to run for that port and deal with the question of the mate and the other three mutineers before the proper court.

A file of men, under command of Gunner Sternow, was left on board the bark to preserve order. The mate and the three other mutineers were thrust in irons into the carpenter's shop, which was converted into a prison for the purpose, one of the cutter's men standing on guard. The following morning, the harbor authorities of Apalachicola having been notified by wireless, a tug came off bearing authority for the formal arrest of the four men, who were taken ash.o.r.e and put in prison, pending action by the Italian consul and the civil authorities.

”I suppose this mutiny business is rather rare,” said Eric to Homer, as the _Miami_ swung out of Apalachicola Bay.

”Not so rare as you'd fancy,” his friend answered. ”There's not a season goes by that some of the cutters don't have to take a hand in settling mutiny. Why, only last year, a crew seized a vessel, in the real old-fas.h.i.+oned pigtail and tarred-trousers style, imprisoned the master in the cabin, and started to sail the s.h.i.+p back to the United States on their own hook.”

”Where were they bound for?”

”'Frisco, from Philadelphia, round the Horn. She was the _Manga Reva_, an American full-rigged s.h.i.+p with a crew of twenty-three men. She was about 600 miles out when the men mutinied and sailed her back to Delaware Breakwater. The master succeeded in running up a distress signal, which was reported to the _Onondaga_. You know her station is just north of Hatteras. The _Onondaga_ put an armed crew on board, and took the mutineers on board the cutter, steamed up the river to Wilmington, Delaware, where they were turned over to the Federal authorities to await trial.”

”What did they get?”

”Pretty heavy terms of imprisonment,” the other answered; ”mutiny on the high seas is a mighty ticklish thing.”

”What do you suppose this mate we collared will get?”

”Hard to say,” the other answered. ”After all, he's an Italian, sailing under Italian colors. Uncle Sam's always careful about international law. But the Italian maritime laws are very strict, and if he's sent back to Italy, I'm sorry for him.”

For the next two months, little of adventurous importance occurred. The _Miami_ disposed of several more dangerous derelicts in the gulf of Mexico. She a.s.sisted a small steamer belonging to the Public Health Service of Key West, which had anch.o.r.ed in an exposed position, and towed her to safe moorings. She rescued two men in a small motor boat, out of sight of land, who had drifted after the machinery had broken down. In addition to this, she floated and towed to harbor three sailing-vessels which had struck on the treacherous reefs of the waters of the Florida Keys. The work was constant, and the Coast Guard cutter was on the job without ceasing, but there was little to stir the complement to their utmost.

Then came trouble. From the wireless station,--that continuous recorder of difficulty and disaster, came word that a Norwegian steamer was ash.o.r.e on Twisted Cay, and asking for immediate a.s.sistance against native wreckers. The _Miami_ immediately started for the scene of the disaster, and about noon of the next day arrived in sight of the vessel.

”They've been having trouble of some sort,” said Eric, as the cutter steamed up to the scene of the wreck. ”And look at the nerve of them; they don't seem to pay any attention to us!”