It is inconceivable that he did not use it at
least once. Margaret and I discussed the affair till we were well a-
weary, but reached no conclusion.
She is a true daughter of the race. At the end of the second dog-
watch, armed with her father's revolver, she insisted on standing the
first watch of the night. I compromised with the inevitable by
having Wada make up my bed on the deck in the shelter of the cabin
skylight just for'ard of the jiggermast. Henry, the two sail-makers
and the steward, variously equipped with knives and clubs, were
stationed along the break of the poop.
And right here I wish to pass my first criticism on modern mutiny.
On ships like the Elsinore there are not enough weapons to go around.
The only firearms now aft are Captain West's .38 Colt revolver, and
my .22 automatic Winchester. The old steward, with a penchant for
hacking and chopping, has his long knife and a butcher's cleaver.
Henry, in addition to his sheath-knife, has a short bar of iron.
Louis, despite a most sanguinary array of butcher-knives and a big
poker, pins his cook's faith on hot water and sees to it that two
kettles are always piping on top the cabin stove.
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