The weekly Butte record., 1867-10-19
FOOD FOR THE SHARKS; OR, THE
MURDER At SEA.

Danish ship. So far as luxury went,
certainly found our ship very inferi-
or to our regular Indiamen (; but, as
sailer, she was far superior, and in
point Of discipline, her crew was as
we'll regulated and as strictly COM
manded as the crew Of a man-of-war.
In fact such order, regularity, and i'm
plicit obedience, could never have be-
lieved to exist on board merchant
man.
The chief-mate was one Of the finest
young men l ever saw. He had Just
been promoted to his present post-not
from the mere fact Of his being the
owners son, but really from sterling
merit. He was beloved by the crew,
amongst whom he had served, as usual,
in the Danish service, FIVE years, and
was equally popular with his brother
officers and the passengers returning to
Europe.
The only bad character We had on
board was the cook, swarthy, ill-look-
ing Portuguese, who managed, some
how or other, daily to cause some dis
turbance amongst the seamen. For
this he had often been reprimanded ;
and the evening when this sketch opens,
he had Just been released from irons,
into which he had been ordered for four
and twenty hours by the chief-mate,
for having attempted to poison sailor
who had offended him. In return for
having punished him thus severely, the
irritated Portuguese swore to avenge
himself ON the first officer.
The mate, who was called Charles,
was walking in the waist with beau
tiful young English girl, to whom he
was engaged to be married, stopping
occasionally to admire the flying g-fsh as
they skinned over the surface of the
water pursued by their cruel destroyer,
talking over the anticipated bliss their
union would confer, their hopes and
fears, the approval of their parents,
their bright prospects, indulging in fu-
ture scenes of life, as steady as the
trade wind before which they were qui-
etly running, when suddenly, ere a soul
could interpose, or even suspect his de-
sign, the cook rushed forward and bu-
ried his knife, with one plunge, into the
heart of the unfortunate young man,
who fell without cry, as the exulting
Portuguese burst forth into a demoniac
. laugh Of triumph.
Unconscious of the full extent of her
bereavement, the poor girl hung over
him, and as friend, who had rushed
forward to support him, drew the knife
from his bosom, her whole dress, which
was white, was stained with his blood.
With an effort, Charles turned toward
her, gave her one last look of fervent
affection, and as the blade was drawn
from the wound, fell corpse into the
arms of him who held him.
BY this time the captain had come
on deck He shed tears like child,
for he loved poor Charles as his owr
son. The exasperated crew wonld in
stantly have fallen on the assassin, and
taken summary vengeance-so truly
had they been attached to the chief
mate-and were cnly kept within
bounds by their commanders presence
The cook, who appeared to glory in his
deed, was instantly seized and confined
The corpse was taken below, while the
wretched betrothed was carried, in a
state of insensibihty, to her cabin.
Eight bells had struck on the follow
ing evening, when received summons
to appear on deck. /, therefore, in
stantly ascended, and found the whole
of the crew dressed in their Sunday
clothes, together with all the officers Of
the ship, and the male passengers as.
sembled. The men on duty were lin
ing either side of the deck; the cap
tain surrounded by his officers, was
standing Immediately in front of the
poop (; and the unfortunate victim lay
stretched on grating over which the
national flag of Denmark had been
thrown, Immediately in the centre
In an instant saw that was present
at the funeral of the chief-mate, and
my heart beat strong with grief, as
uncovered my head and stepped on the
quarter deck.
1t was nearly dead calm; We had
passed the trades, and were fast ap-
preaching the Line {; the sun had begun
to decline, but still burnt with fervent
heat; the sails hung listlessly agains,
the masts, and the mainsail brailed up
in order to allow the breeze, should any
rise, to go forward. l had observed
all the morning still more sure indi-
cation of our approach to the torrid
zone. Through the clear blue water,
had remarked couple of sharks fol
lowing the vessel, accompanied by theii
usual companions, the pilot fish. This
the sailors had expected as matter Of
course-as they superstitiously believe
that these monsters always attach them
selves to ship in which dead body
hes. In their appearance, however, !
only saw the announcement of our Vi
cinity to the Line.
In such weather. placed in a ship,