British merchant flag which still hung at the
gaff.

The other shrugged his shoulders.

"The only one I have. The mate he take the others," he answered.

"Where's the mate?"

An evil-looking fellow with rings in his ears and a long knife stuck in
his belt slouched forward. He did not come alone. Half a dozen sailors,
evidently part of a gang, came aft with him.

Thinking that a little example might be salutary, the lieutenant turned
to the file of men who had come on board with him. The men had their
rifles at the carry.

"'Tion! Order arms!"

The butts of the rifles came down on the ship's deck with the precision
of clockwork and the rattle was ominous. The Coast Guard officer had a
steely note in his voice, as he continued.

"You're the mate?"

"Yes," the man said sulkily, but in good English, "I'm the first mate,
all right."

"Did you remove the signal flags from the locker?"

"What if I did?"

"Did you receive orders from your captain to do so?"

"Not exactly--"

"Yes or no!"

"N-no!"

"And was he on deck at the time?"

"Yes."

"Did he order you not to haul down the flag?"

"I don't have to do everything he tells me."

"Did he order you not to haul down the flag? Yes or no?"

"Well, yes."

"And did you haul it down several times?"

"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.

[Illustration: STRANDED! AFTER STORM HAS CEASED AND TIDE HAS EBBED.

The end of a gallant bark driven on a lee shore, 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 shipmaster 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 ship had part of her cargo
consigned to Vera Cruz, consisting of cartridges, designed for the
Mexican government. The mate had practically seized the ship and
demanded that the captain sail her to Puerto Mexico, one of the southern
ports, in the hands of the Zapatistas. The Mexican rebel genera