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CHAPTER 8: Campaigns and Elections
MULTIPLE CHOICE
2. About __________ percent of Americans either do not participate in politics at all or limit that
participation strictly to voting.
a. 5
b. 10
c. 25
d. 35
e. 40
ANS: E REF: 178 NOT: Factual
4. Normally speaking, which age group is the least likely to vote in a presidential election?
a. 18–24
b. 25–34
c. 35–44
d. 45–54
e. 55 and above
ANS: A REF: 179 NOT: Factual
5. Compared with white participation in the democratic process, African Americans participate
a. less than whites across the board.
b. more than whites of the same socioeconomic status.
c. only during some periods of history, such as the civil-rights movement in the 1960s.
d. more heavily in protest movements, riots, and demonstrations.
e. more heavily in national elections than in state and local contests.
ANS: B REF: 179 | 180 NOT: Factual
6. Evidence suggests that government officials tend to be better informed about and more in agreement
with the opinions of
a. average citizens.
b. activists.
c. inactives.
d. parochial participants.
e. residents of so-called blue states.
ANS: B REF: 180 NOT: Conceptual
7. Which constitutional amendment forbids states to deny the right to vote on account of age?
a. Thirteenth Amendment
b. Fifteenth Amendment
c. Nineteenth Amendment
d. Twenty-sixth Amendment
e. None of the above is true.
ANS: D REF: 180 NOT: Factual
10. Which amendment prohibited the denial of the right to vote on account of “race, color, or previous
condition of servitude”?
a. Thirteenth Amendment
b. Fifteenth Amendment
c. Nineteenth Amendment
d. Twenty-sixth Amendment
e. None of the above is true.
ANS: B REF: 181 NOT: Factual
11. Compared with the public as a whole, political activists tend to be more
a. liberal.
b. conservative.
c. ideologically extreme on both the left and the right.
d. politically moderate, reflecting their sense of efficacy.
e. politically moderate, reflecting the influence of the media.
ANS: C REF: 181 NOT: Conceptual
12. Which of the following was a major change in regard to American elections?
a. Direct election of members of the House
b. Equal representation in the electoral college
c. Uniform eligibility requirements for electors
d. Appointment of state legislators
e. Direct election of members of the Senate
ANS: E REF: 181 NOT: Factual
13. Which of the following resulted in a dramatic change in the number of blacks who registered
and voted?
a. The Voting Rights Act of 1965
b. The Civil Rights Act of 1964
c. The ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870
d. The ratification of the Twenty-sixth Amendment in 1971
e. The ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920
ANS: A REF: 181 NOT: Factual
15. The Nineteenth Amendment did not greatly alter electoral outcomes because
a. women did not register to vote, leaving decisions to men.
b. women voted more or less in the same manner as men.
c. women took the advice of men in making their voting decisions.
d. there were no policies of interest to women in these elections.
e. women refused to vote in protest of the war.
ANS: B REF: 182 NOT: Conceptual
17. Some scholars argue that the decline in voter turnout in the twentieth century is more apparent than
real because in earlier elections
a. vote fraud inflated ballot counts.
b. the illiteracy of immigrants was not a factor.
c. property qualifications decreased the eligible electorate.
d. blacks were terrorized to keep them from voting.
e. were extended over several days.
ANS: A REF: 183 NOT: Conceptual
18. When did the United States begin using the secret ballot?
a. When VAP and VEP data became available
b. When the so-called Australian ballot was adopted
c. When the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965
d. When the government began registering people to vote
e. When the government began conducting the census
ANS: B REF: 183 NOT: Factual
21. In 1993, Congress passed a law that allowed citizens to register to vote when they applied for
a. government jobs.
b. employment with community organizations.
c. college.
d. driver’s licenses.
e. participation in government funded construction projects.
ANS: D REF: 185 NOT: Factual
22. When registered nonvoters in the United States were asked why they did not vote, what was the most
common explanation?
a. Illness
b. Apathy over the candidates/issues
c. Intense dislike of the candidates
d. No transportation to the polls
e. Scheduling conflicts
ANS: E REF: 185 NOT: Factual
23. Studies suggest which of the following would be an effective way to increase vote turnout?
a. Direct mail
b. Radio ads
c. Door-to-door canvassing
d. Television ads
e. Election day festivals
ANS: C REF: 185 NOT: Factual
24. When all is said and done, today, campaigns are largely run by
a. personal followers of the candidate.
b. party organizations.
c. large donors.
d. the media.
e. local politicians.
ANS: A REF: 186 NOT: Factual
25. The increased reliance on the mass media by candidates has resulted in
a. campaigns becoming less costly.
b. issues becoming more important to voters.
c. an emphasis on the personal qualities of candidates.
d. PAC support becoming less important to candidates.
e. a decrease in soft money.
ANS: C REF: 186 NOT: Conceptual
26. Which of the following have contributed to the increase in personal campaigns?
a. Primary elections
b. Political fundraising and patronage
c. Increased reliance on mass media
d. Decline in party identification
e. All of the above are true.
ANS: E REF: 186 NOT: Factual
27. In recent years states have tried to increase the importance of their primaries and caucuses by
a. excluding independent voters.
b. welcoming independent voters.
c. scheduling these events later in the contest.
d. scheduling these events earlier in the contest.
e. advertising these events nationally.
ANS: D REF: 187 NOT: Conceptual
28. The tendency of big states, in recent years, is to __________ primaries and caucuses.
a. narrow-cast
b. commercialize
c. end-load
d. front-load
e. solidify
ANS: D REF: 187 NOT: Conceptual
30. If you must declare that you are a registered member of a party a considerable time in advance, then
you are voting in a(n) __________ primary.
a. open
b. closed
c. blanket
d. runoff
e. free love
ANS: B REF: 188 NOT: Conceptual
31. If you are voting because no candidate received a majority of the votes in a previous election, then you
are voting in a(n) __________ primary.
a. open
b. closed
c. blanket
d. runoff
e. free love
ANS: D REF: 188 NOT: Conceptual
32. If you can decide which party’s ticket you would like to participate in as you enter the voting booth,
you are voting in a(n) __________ primary.
a. open
b. closed
c. blanket
d. runoff
e. free love
ANS: A REF: 188 NOT: Conceptual
37. Which of the following has been shown to increase voter turnout?
a. Reminding people to vote
b. Telling people where to vote
c. Mailing partisan appeals to voters
d. Telling people how often their neighbors have voted
e. Showing TV ads
ANS: D REF: 191 NOT: Factual
39. In presidential elections, __________ are more loyal to their party’s candidate.
a. Democrats
b. Republicans
c. Independents
d. no party’s identifiers
e. Libertarians
ANS: B REF: 191 NOT: Factual
40. Which Democratic presidential candidate received 90 percent or more of Democratic votes?
a. Carter (1976 and 1980)
b. Clinton (1992 and 1996)
c. Gore (2000)
d. Kerry (2004)
e. Obama (2008)
ANS: D REF: 192 NOT: Factual
41. In most presidential elections, a majority of the voters decide whom they will vote for
a. soon after the nominating conventions.
b. during the primaries.
c. before the primaries.
d. just before the election.
e. after national newspapers have made their endorsements.
ANS: A REF: 193 NOT: Conceptual
42. There is evidence to suggest that Eisenhower’s decision to “go to Korea” was influenced by
a. his cabinet.
b. party leaders in the Senate.
c. editorials that he had read in elite publications.
d. protesters outside the White House.
e. public-opinion polls.
ANS: E REF: 193 NOT: Conceptual
43. President __________ ordered endless polls, sometimes weekly, to help him decide what positions
to adopt.
a. Bush
b. Clinton
c. Reagan
d. Carter
e. Eisenhower
ANS: B REF: 193 NOT: Factual
44. The rise in single-issue ideological groups has been associated with the
a. Internet.
b. rise of voter apathy.
c. rise in the power of political parties.
d. decline in overall religious activity.
e. decline in the power of political parties.
ANS: E REF: 193 NOT: Conceptual
45. Single-issue interest groups seem to have their greatest electoral impact on
a. primary elections.
b. general elections.
c. the electoral college.
d. incumbents.
e. political conventions.
ANS: A REF: 195 NOT: Conceptual
46. In a typical presidential election, about _____ percent of voters cannot be counted on to vote either
Republican or Democrat.
a. 5
b. 10
c. 20
d. 50
e. 65
ANS: C REF: 196 NOT: Factual
47. The biggest factor affecting the votes of non-Democrats and non-Republicans is
a. the choices that candidates make regarding vice-presidential nominees.
b. the economy.
c. concern about crime.
d. international affairs.
e. the character of the candidates.
ANS: B REF: 196 NOT: Conceptual
50. When listing the primary factors that impact election outcomes, the authors do not include
a. vice-presidential nominees.
b. mass media.
c. issues discussed by candidates.
d. religion.
e. All of the above are true.
ANS: E REF: 197 NOT: Factual
53. There seems to have been ___________ realignments in American politics so far.
a. two
b. three
c. four
d. five
e. nine
ANS: D REF: 199 NOT: Factual
56. Republican victories in the presidential elections from 1980 through 1996 indicate that a party
realignment has
a. not yet occurred despite these victories.
b. succeeded only in producing a mandate for the Republican Party.
c. propelled the Republicans into the position of the dominant party.
d. occurred to some extent among white voters in the South.
e. occurred in so-called blue states.
ANS: D REF: 200 NOT: Conceptual
57. Evidence of decay in political parties is exhibited by the declining proportion of people identifying
with either party and by the
a. election of more independent candidates to Congress.
b. rise in split-ticket voting.
c. lower quality of candidates representing the parties in Congress.
d. rise in political corruption.
e. increase in congressional investigations.
ANS: B REF: 200 NOT: Conceptual
59. Poor voters, contrary to popular belief, more often support Republican candidates because
a. the Democrats have been disappointing when in office.
b. the Republicans are perceived as a more effective party.
c. the poor include many elderly, retired persons who are traditionally Republican.
d. Republicans support extensive social programs.
e. Democratic members of Congress have rarely supported increases in the minimum wage.
ANS: C REF: 202 NOT: Conceptual
60. Which of the following candidates did the textbook use as an example of the importance of media in
the development of name recognition?
a. Al Gore
b. Estes Kefauver
c. Ross Perot
d. Adlai Stevenson
e. John F. Kennedy
ANS: B REF: 203 NOT: Factual
61. When a voter sees and hears only what she or he wants, __________ is at work.
a. mental tune-out
b. selective attention
c. perceptual narrowing
d. sensory overload
e. conceptual burnout
ANS: B REF: 203 NOT: Conceptual
65. For a presidential candidate to be eligible for federal matching funds, he or she must first
a. raise a total of $50,000 from individuals and other donors in each of thirty different states.
b. have the validated signatures of at least 5,000 registered voters on a petition in each of
twenty-five different states.
c. raise $5,000 in individual contributions of $250 or less in each of twenty different states.
d. receive at least 25 percent of the vote in any three states having presidential primaries.
e. win the electoral vote of half the states.
ANS: C REF: 206 NOT: Factual
66. The 2002 campaign finance reform law set a limit of __________ on the amount any person can
contribute to a single candidate in a single election.
a. $200
b. $2,000
c. $10,000
d. $50,000
e. $20,000
ANS: B REF: 207 NOT: Factual
67. The text concludes that elections
a. never make a difference in public policy because the bureaucracy makes the important
decisions.
b. are less important today than before in changing public policy.
c. are irrelevant because the two parties are so similar.
d. are often significant in producing change.
e. rarely produce change that is substantial.
ANS: D REF: 210 NOT: Conceptual
68. An analysis of campaign promises made between 1944 and 1964 by the two major parties revealed
that ____ percent of the promises were carried out.
a. 31
b. 46
c. 72
d. 64
e. 80
ANS: C REF: 210 NOT: Factual
TRUE/FALSE
1. In 1968, Hubert Humphrey won the Democratic nomination without competing in a single state
primary.
2. Young adults have voted at lower rates than older adults in every election since 1972.
3. African Americans vote at a higher rate than whites when comparisons control for income and
education.
4. The Fifteenth Amendment says that no state can deny any citizen the right to vote on account of
gender.
5. When first allowed to vote, women turned out in greater numbers than men.
6. The Twenty-sixth Amendment gave those eighteen years of age and older the right to vote.
7. Today, younger voters are somewhat more likely than older voters to be Democrats.
9. Post-1968 U. S. presidential elections have drawn over 70 percent of all registered voters.
10. In recent years the tendency has been for states to try to run their primaries and caucuses as early as
possible.
11. There is clear evidence that recent debates have had an influence on presidential contests.
12. Democratic voters support their presidential candidate less often than Republican voters support their
party’s candidate.
13. George W. Bush’s top White House political adviser, Karl Rove, was a self-taught polling expert.
14. The political party of the most presidents gains congressional seats in off-year elections.
15. President Obama’s attempts to expand the role and cost of government resulted in gains for
Democratic Party seats in the 2010 mid-term congressional elections.
17. Candidates supported by the Tea Party consistently won primary and general elections.
18. Single-issue ideological groups have a greater impact in general elections than in primaries.
19. In a typical presidential election, the two major parties generally can expect to gather in 80 percent of
the vote no matter whom they nominate.
20. When economic times are bad, incumbent presidents do well at the polls.
ANS: F REF: 196
21. The choice of a running mate for vice president usually has a critical impact on who wins or loses a
presidential election.
22. It is clear that the mass media have a critical impact on who wins or loses a presidential race.
24. Scholars believe that there have been ten major realignments in American politics.
29. In 2010, the Supreme Court struck down a provision of the BCRA, ruling that it violated free speech
rights of corporations, labor unions, and nonprofit organizations.
30. Studies confirmed that candidates typically keep about 25% of their campaign promises.
ESSAY
ANS:
(a.) The large number of offices filled by elected officials
(b.) The low levels of participation in elections
(c.) The weak condition of political parties
2. What have been the three most important changes in elections since the broad political participation
brought on by the Jacksonian movement?
ANS:
(a.) The extension of suffrage to African Americans (Fifteenth Amendment)
(b.) The extension of suffrage to females (Nineteenth Amendment)
(c.) The extension of suffrage to those 18 years old (Twenty Sixth Amendment)
(d.) The direct election of U.S. Senators
3. What is the Australian Ballot? What party advocated the Australian Ballot?
ANS:
(a.) It was a reform advocated by the Progressives to curtail vote fraud.
(b.) It was a uniform ballot printed and distributed by the government.
(c.) The ballot was then cast in secret.
4. What features of our political system have contributed to the rise of personal rather than party-run
campaigns?
ANS:
(a.) Primary elections have weakened the ability of party leaders to select candidates.
(b.) Political funds and political jobs are increasingly under the control of candidates.
(c.) Increased reliance on media has resulted in greater attention on the personal
qualities of individual candidates.
(d.) Party identification is declining.
5. Identify four types of non–presidential primary elections and explain what each entails.
ANS:
(a.) Closed: Voters declare in advance which party’s primary they will participate in.
(b.) Open: Voter’s decide on Election Day, in the voting booth, which party’s primary
election they will participate in.
(c.) Blanket: Voters choose candidates from either party in a list of offices.
(d.) Runoff primary: If no candidate gets a majority of the votes, there is a runoff between
the two candidates with the most votes.
6. What are some things identified by the text that do and do not increase vote turnout?
ANS:
(a.) Do not increase voter turnout: Reminding people to vote, telling people where to
vote, and mailing partisan appeals to vote.
(b.) Do increase voter turnout: Telling people how often they have voted in the past, and
telling people how often their neighbors have voted.
7. Given the fact that more people typically identify with the Democratic party, why don’t the Democrats
always win?
ANS:
(a.) Democrats are less firmly wedded to the party.
(b.) Republican candidates have tended to gather a larger percentage of the Independent
votes.
(c.) Republicans are more likely to vote than Democrats.
8. What three things explained the unusual elections of 2010, where the Democrats lost 61 seats in the
House and 6 seats in the Senate?
ANS:
(a.) The Country was in the grip of a recession.
(b.) The President’s attempt to expand the role and cost of government was not popular.
(c.) The election became nationalized.
9. Summarize what we know and don’t know about single issue voters.
ANS:
(a.) Some say they are the result of the decline of political parties.
(b.) There is nothing new about such groups.
(c.) Although they have received a lot of media attention, it is not clear that they have an
effect on national elections.
(d.) They may have considerable impact on primary elections.
10. Scholars cannot say exactly what decides elections, but what three things appear to count the most?
ANS:
(a.) Political party affiliation
(b.) The state of the economy
(c.) The character of the candidates
11. Identify the five examples of party realignment identified by the text and the political parties that came
to power as result.
ANS:
(a.) 1800 (Jeffersonian Republicans)
(b.) 1828 (Jacksonian Democrats)
(c.) 1860 (Republicans)
(d.) 1896 (Republicans)
(e.) 1932 (Democrats)
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After I had announced the vote, I saw that Sanderson and Baxter
were very busy among the men; and on the third ballot I was not a
little astonished to find that Phil Farringford had twelve of the sixteen
votes, and was therefore chosen. I positively declined to serve,
where-upon Baxter withdrew his name once more; but Sanderson did
the same. I distributed the votes a fourth time, and did a little
electioneering for my man, Sanderson. This time he had ten votes,
and was therefore elected. He began to decline, but Baxter and
several others assured him it was his duty to serve, and he finally
consented.
"Now, my lads," said the master, "neither the captain nor the mate
you have chosen is a navigator; and the second mate ought to be the
only one on board who can take an observation and lay down the
ship's position on the chart. Those who are in favor of Phil Farringford
for second mate will say, Ay."
"Ay!" shouted the whole crew.
"Those opposed say, No."
The crew were silent, and I was declared to be the choice of all
hands. I did not feel equal to the position, and began to decline; but I
was silenced, and with the best grace I could command, I accepted.
The watches were then rearranged, so as to make them as nearly
equal as possible, both in regard to numbers and seamanship.
CHAPTER XXII.
IN WHICH PHIL LAYS DOWN THE LAW, AND IS
AFTERWARDS MUCH ALARMED.
"Now, my lads, we are in ship-shape and working order," said
Captain York, after all the arrangements had been completed. "We
have the bark; but what shall we do with her?"
"That's the question," replied Baxter. "I suppose we must lose our
time and go on shore as poor as we came on board. But I would
rather land in New York with only a shirt on my back than go a
slaving."
"I say so too; but it is rather a hard case," added the new mate. "We
have got our advance, and I suppose that's all we shall make out of
this cruise."
"Perhaps not," I interposed.
"No matter whether it is so or not; I am satisfied," said Sanderson. "I
wouldn't help take a cargo of niggers over to Cuba for all the money
there is in New York. Their howls would haunt me to my dying day."
"It's always the safest way to do one's duty, without regard to
consequences," I continued.
"I suppose it is," said the captain; "but it's a hard case for the men."
"Perhaps not; we will look at that matter by and by," I answered,
holding up one of the books I had brought on deck. "Where shall we
go? That's the first question."
"If we stand towards the coast, we may be able to find a man-of-war;
perhaps the steamer that chased us yesterday," added Captain York.
"I have no doubt she intends to cut off the bark somewhere on the
coast."
"What do you say, Phil?" asked Sanderson.
"I say, return to New York."
"Why so?"
"We can get out of the scrape sooner and better in that way than in
any other," I replied. "If we fall in with a man-of-war, the bark will be
her prize; she is ours now."
"But we have too many prisoners on board to make a run of three or
four weeks, perhaps five or six," suggested the captain.
"I think we can take care of the prisoners well enough. We have all
the arms, and we can do everything in our own way."
"But why not hand them over to a man-of-war, if we can find one?"
continued Captain York.
"Because the bark would be her prize then; now she is ours. I will
read you the law, if you like."
"What law?"
"The law relating to vessels fitted out for the slave trade."
"Read on, Phil."
All hands gathered around me, deeply interested in the subject, and I
read from "The Shipmaster's Assistant," in order that they might
know how they stood, as follows:—
"Citizens of the United States, voluntarily serving on board of a
foreign or American vessel engaged in the slave trade, were formerly
subject to a fine and imprisonment; but now they are regarded as
pirates, and suffer death."
"That's the idea!" exclaimed Baxter. "That's what's the matter; if we
had voluntarily gone down to the coast of Africa and taken in a cargo
of slaves—suffer death."
"And we must either resist or go voluntarily," added Sanderson.
"But some of us are not citizens of the United States," said Welsh.
"There are a great many other laws; and I don't think it makes any
difference what country you belong to, if you are caught in the
business. Some of you think it is a hard case to lose your wages. I
will read you from another law, which goes on to say, that no person
or persons shall build, fit, equip, load, or otherwise prepare a vessel
to be engaged in the slave trade. Now hear. 'And if any ship or
vessel shall be so built, fitted out, equipped, laden, or otherwise
prepared for the purpose aforesaid, every said ship or vessel, her
tackle, apparel, furniture, and lading shall be forfeited, one moiety to
the use of the United States, and the other to the use of the person
or persons who shall sue for said forfeiture, and prosecute the same
to effect,' &c."
"What's the English of that, Phil?" asked Walker, scratching his head,
and then hitching up his trousers.
"It means that the vessel and all that she contains shall be forfeited,"
I replied.
"What's that maw—"
"Moiety? It means one half."
"Do you mean to say that half the value of the bark will go into our
pockets?"
"I am no lawyer, but that's what I think it means. In my opinion,
shipmates, you will make more money by taking the vessel back to
New York than you would by accepting the thousand dollars the
mate offered you for the cruise."
"That's good news, but it's only a fair thing," said Baxter.
"The men who fit out a slaver are liable to a fine of from one to five
thousand dollars besides, and half of that goes to the informers. We
shall be the informers in this case."
"I don't care anything about that," added Sanderson. "I don't like that
word. I believe in minding my own business; but it's a different thing
when men are carried off as we were, and called mutineers, when
we object to go slaving."
The men agreed with the new mate, and the reading of the law
transformed them all into a very cheerful crew. As the result of the
conference, the course of the bark was changed to the north-west,
and the joyful cry of homeward bound rang through the vessel. For
my own part, while I had strongly advised this plan, it caused me
much regret to abandon my mission in Europe for the present. We
had the north-east trades, and the wind was fresh and fair; but we
could not expect to reach New York in less than three weeks.
We were over four weeks from port, and by this time the Bayard,
with the Gracewoods on board, was on her way home. But I might
hope to meet them in New York or in St. Louis, and this was a
sufficient consolation. I should be obliged to ascertain in Chicago
where my mother was, and do all I had done over again. I should be
able to visit Europe during the summer, if my mother and her brother
did not decide to come home before that time.
At noon I took the observations, and carefully calculated the position
of the bark. I pricked the chart to indicate the place of the vessel,
which was about a hundred and ten miles south-west of the Cape
Verd Islands. I examined the nature of the currents, after I had made
out the course with the parallel ruler. Being a new hand, I went over
my figures and allowances three times before I gave out the course
to the helmsman; but when I had done so, I was satisfied it was
correct. I spent all my time, when off watch, in studying the
"Navigator," the chart, and the currents. I found that the hard work I
had done over algebra and geometry, on the Upper Missouri and in
Chicago, had prepared me for the duty I was now called upon to
perform. I needed more experience in practical seamanship; but I felt
competent, so far as the navigation was concerned, to sail a ship all
over the world.
"Mr. Waterford says he wants to see me," said Captain York to me in
the afternoon. "Would you see him?"
"I should; we ought to listen to what he has to say."
"Come with me, Mr. Farringford."
I followed him into the steerage. Waterford was the picture of
despair.
"York, are you in command?" groaned the sufferer.
"I am, for the want of a better master."
"Will you order one of your hands to shoot me?"
"No, I will not."
"I would rather die than be kept here. If you mean to murder me, do
it at once, and don't kill me by inches."
"What can we do for you?"
"I am in pain and misery. Shoot me!"
"What can we do with him, Mr. Farringford?" said the captain, turning
to me.
"Tell him to shoot me, Phil."
"No, I shall not. You are wanted in St. Louis to answer to the charge
of forgery; but I am in favor of doing what I can to make you more
comfortable."
"Loose me, then."
"I am afraid we might have to shoot you, then. Mr. Waterford, we are
going to take the bark back to New York, and we intend to land you
there. We have no desire to make you suffer, but we mean to keep
you safely."
"I will give you my word that I will be perfectly quiet, if you will give
me liberty to walk about the vessel."
"Give him an hour on deck, Captain York, if you please, with a hand
to watch him; I don't believe in running any risks."
"I am willing," replied the new master.
I untied Waterford's feet, and released him from the stanchion. As a
change of position for his arms, I tied his wrists in front of him, and
then led him on deck. He could hardly walk at first, but he soon
recovered the use of his limbs, and I led him up and down the deck
for an hour. He felt better then, and became sullen and silent. I
conducted him back to the steerage. Baxter and Sanderson then led
the two Spanish passengers up for their exercise, and Palmer and
myself put Waterford into one of their berths.
"Do you feel better, Waterford?" I asked.
"Yes; but you haven't seen the end of this thing yet," he growled, so
naturally that I was sure his condition was very much improved.
"I think I shall be more willing to see the end of it than you will," I
replied. "We wish to make you as comfortable as the circumstances
will admit."
He was disposed to talk with me, after the ebullition of ill-nature had
subsided; but I left him to assist in giving others of the prisoners the
air and exercise which they so much needed, and which it was
inhuman to deny them. The seamen among them begged for mercy,
and promised to serve their new masters faithfully if they were set at
liberty. We decided to let Pedro and Sylvio, the least vicious of them,
return to their duty, for we were rather short-handed, and were likely
to have heavy weather as we made more northing. We were obliged
to keep a sentinel in the steerage all the time, which made one less
for duty on deck.
We went along very well for a week, having the steady trade-wind
fair all the time. Then we had calms and blows by turns. One gale
lasted two days; and when the men were somewhat worn down,—for
we were obliged to keep all hands on deck,—we released the rest of
the seamen in the steerage on their promise to be obedient. The
situation of the prisoners was far from agreeable, while the vessel
pitched and rolled in the heavy sea, and the Spanish and
Portuguese sailors were glad to escape on any terms.
I kept a revolver in my belt all the time, and the other officers did the
same; but the pirates behaved well, and gave us no trouble. When
the gale subsided, we allowed the seamen to remain upon duty, they
did so well; but we soon had occasion to repent this indulgence. On
the eighth day of our homeward voyage I took the deck at eight bells,
in charge of the starboard watch, as usual.
At six bells, Baxter, who had just been released at the wheel, came
aft and told me that nearly every man in the watch was drunk. The
weather looked squally, and I was alarmed at this discovery. I went
below and called the captain. When he came on deck, he ordered
the light sails to be taken in, and I called all hands. To my
astonishment I found that more than half of the port watch were also
so drunk that they could hardly stand, and were not in condition to go
aloft. Things looked serious on board just then.
CHAPTER XXIII.
IN WHICH PHIL COUNSELS PRUDENCE, AND
RESORTS TO STRATEGY.
As all hands were called, Captain York took the command, and
Sanderson went forward among the men. As my station was also in
the midst of the crew, I had an opportunity to see who were drunk and
who were sober. Martino and Gorro were the drunkest of the crowd,
and I had no doubt that it was through their agency that the liquor had
been obtained, though in what manner I was unable to see.
Sanderson soon proved that he was as good an officer as he was a
seaman.
"Lay aloft, Martino, and furl the main top-gallant sail," said he to the
leader of the drunken Spaniards.
"When the officers of the bark give me an order, I obey them," said
Martino, in substance.
"Do you hear, my hearty? Lay aloft and furl the main top-gallant sail!"
repeated the mate, sharply.
"I don't obey you any longer. Mr. Waterford is coming on deck soon."
"You don't obey me?"
"No, I don't."
"Then you will take the consequences," continued Sanderson, as with
his iron fist he dealt the Spaniard a blow upon the side of the head
which felled him to the deck, where he lay senseless.
Sanderson and Phil quell a Mutiny.