CHAPTER V
SIGNS OF A MUTINY
"I've found out something important, Captain Ponsberry," said Larry, ashe entered the cabin. "I now know what's the matter with the grub." Toall salt-water sailors food is grub and nothing else.
"Well, what is the matter with it?" questioned the master of the_Columbia_, quickly.
"It's being doctored, that's what's the matter."
"Doctored?"
"Yes, sir,--doctored by Semmel, too."
"Will you explain what you mean, Larry?" demanded the captain, intenselyinterested.
"I just saw that rascal go into the cook's galley. Jeff wasn't there,and Semmel took the lid off of a big pot on the stove and sprinkledsomething inside."
"What!" Captain Ponsberry leaped to his feet "Are you certain of this?"he demanded.
"I am--for I saw it with my own eyes."
"What was that stuff he put into the pot?"
"I don't know."
"Did he touch anything else?"
"No. He was in a tremendous hurry and wasn't in the galley more than aminute at the most."
"The scoundrel!" Captain Ponsberry clenched his fists. "Larry, you arepositive you are making no mistake?"
"I saw the thing done just as I told you. The stuff was in a bit ofwhite paper. When he went forward he threw the paper overboard."
"Did anybody else see this?"
"I don't think so. But----"
At that moment came a knock on the cabin door and Luke Striker appeared.
"Excuse me, sir," he said, touching his cap. "But I've got somethingimportant to report."
"What is it, Striker?"
"I jess see that air Semmel go in and out o' the cook's galley."
"That is just what I am reporting!" cried Larry. "Did you see what hedid, Luke?"
"No. He wasn't in there only a minit. It looked suspicious to me,though--with all hands gittin' sick from the grub."
"This is all the evidence I want," said Captain Ponsberry. "We'll soonmake an end of this. Larry, send Semmel to me."
The young second mate left the cabin with Luke and both hurried towardthe bow, where Semmel and Peterson were conversing in low tones.
"The captain wants to see you at once," said Larry to the beardedsailor.
His tone was so sharp it made Semmel start.
"Vat he vants?" he queried.
"Go and find out for yourself."
"Maybe you git me in droubles, hey?" and the bearded sailor scowled.
"I reckon as how you're gittin' yourself into trouble," drawled Luke,dryly.
"You keep your mouf shut!" cried Semmel. "I no talk to you, no!"
"The captain wants you to report; are you going to do so or not?"demanded Larry.
"Sure I go," answered Semmel, with a toss of his head, and he slouchedtoward the stern. His manner was so aggressive that Larry picked up abelaying pin before following him.
Captain Ponsberry had just appeared on deck. He had armed himself with ashort club,--a sure sign to those who knew him that something unusualwas in the wind. His face was stern and forbidding, and all handsgathered around to see what was the trouble.
"Semmel, I want to have a talk with you," he said, in a loud voice, asthe bearded sailor came up.
To this the sailor nodded but did not answer.
"I want to know what you were doing in the cook's galley a short whileago."
"De cook's galley?" The sailor acted as if he was puzzled. "I no go byde galley, captain."
"You were in the galley and you put something into the stew-pot. Whatwas it?" thundered Captain Ponsberry. "Tell me the truth, or I may takeit into my head to break every bone in your body!" And he shook his clubin the sailor's face.
"I put noddings in de pot," cried Semmel. "I no go in de galley--I nobeen in de galley two, tree days. It is a lie!"
"I saw you go in," came from Luke.
"And so did I," added Larry. "And I saw you sprinkle something into thepot."
"What, did dat good-fo'-nuffin furiner put somet'ing in ma eatin'?"shrieked Jeff, who had come up. "Oh,--yo'--yo'----"
"Never mind, Jeff, I'll attend to this," interrupted the captain.
"Yes, sah, but dat monkey-faced----"
"Never mind now--fall back there," added the captain, and the cook fellback, but shook his fist at Semmel.
"I not in de galley," reiterated the bearded sailor. "Russell an'Striker no tell de truth."
"It is true," cried Larry.
"Thet's so, an' you can't squirm out o' it," broke in Luke. "I saw ye asplain as day."
"I want to know what you put into that stew-pot?" continued CaptainPonsberry.
"I no go near de galley. I----"
"I know you went into the galley and I know you put something into thestew. For the last time I ask you, what was it?"
For reply Ostag Semmel simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Are you going to tell me the truth?"
"I reckon the truth ain't in him," grumbled Luke, under his breath.
"I say noddings more," came sourly from the bearded sailor.
"Put that man in irons," commanded Captain Ponsberry, turning quickly toLarry and Grandon. "If he won't talk now, perhaps he'll talk after hehas spent a day in the brig."
"Vat! you put me in irons!" shrieked Semmel. "You no got right to dodat, no!"
"Haven't I?" answered Captain Ponsberry, in a voice that cut like awhip. "I'd like to see anybody dispute over it. Larry, Tom, do as Icommand."
"Yes, sir," answered Larry, and ran off to get a pair of handcuffs whileTom Grandon stationed himself beside Ostag Semmel, belaying pin in hand.
"You no mak me a prisoner!" fumed the bearded sailor. "You got noright!"
He continued to rave, saying that it was a plot against him, because hehad been the first to complain about the vile food served to the hands;that he had not been near the galley and that the captain, Grandon, andLarry knew it. He even appealed to the other sailors to stand by him,and several came forward to argue with Captain Ponsberry. But the masterof the schooner was obstinate and would not listen.
"I know what I am doing, men," he said, quickly but firmly. "He is ascoundrel and a spell in the brig will do him good. After this I reckonyou'll find the grub all right."
"I no like--" began Peterson, once more.
"You shut up, Peterson, or I'll put you in the brig with Semmel," cut inthe captain, and Peterson fell back with the rest, but with a brow thatwas dark and distrustful.
By this time Larry had returned with the handcuffs and despite theresistance he offered, Ostag Semmel was made a prisoner. Then the firstand the second mates led him to the schooner's brig,--a narrow, V-shapedroom in the bow of the boat, usually used for storing lanterns and oil.The smell in the closet--for it was nothing else--was far from pleasant,and a day in the brig usually made a prisoner repent and promise to dobetter.
"I mak trouble for dis!" growled Semmel, as the door was closed andbolted on him. "I mak trouble, yes! You got no right to do dis, no!"
"And you haven't any right to doctor the grub," answered Larry, and thenhe and Grandon walked away.
"That fellow is a first-class villain, to my way of reasoning," was thefirst mate's comment. "I believe he'd do almost anything to get squarefor this."
After Ostag Semmel had been placed in the brig Captain Ponsberry calledall hands to him once more and related what Luke and Larry had seen. Thestew was inspected, but nothing suspicious could be seen about it.
"If any of you want to try that stew you may do so," said the captain."Of course, if Semmel didn't touch it there can be nothing in it thatcan hurt you." But all, even to Peterson, declined to even taste thefood. It was one thing to think Semmel innocent but quite another to runthe risk of being made sick or poisoned. In the end the stew was dumpedoverboard and Jeff prepared an entirely new dinner for all hands.
"You must keep close watch on all of the men," said the captain to Larryand Grandon, when quietness had been restored. "Semmel was th
e worst ofthe lot, but I do not like the way Peterson and one or two others areacting."
"I don't see what they can do," answered Larry.
"They might start a mutiny," came from the first mate.
"Would they dare go as far as that?"
"Sometimes sailors get strange notions, and the old Harry himself can'tstop them," said Captain Ponsberry. "A thing that in itself doesn'tamount to much will start them off, and they'll imagine that everythingis going wrong. When I was a lad, on board the _Mary Eliza_, CaptainSnapper, we had a mutiny just because the coffee wasn't right."
"Yes, and I can remember that they had a mutiny on the old brig_Chesterfield_ because Captain Roe's wife brought a cross-eyed yellowcat on board," added Grandon. "Not a man would hoist a sail until thatfeline was put ashore. And when, two months later, the brig lost herforemast in a gale, the sailors said it was on account of that same cat,she having scratched the mast before she was taken away!"
"Well, I hope we don't have a mutiny," said Larry. "I'd like to suggestsomething, Captain Ponsberry," he went on, to the master of the_Columbia_.
"Fire ahead, Larry."
"You know we can trust Luke Striker. Why not have him report just whatthe other hands are doing?"
"That's an idea, and I will act on it. Yes, I'd trust Striker as quickas I'd trust you. If there is to be trouble we certainly want to know ofit as soon as possible," concluded the captain.
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