The Shasta courier., 1867-10-26
FOOD FOR THE SHARKS; OR, THE
MURDER AT SEA

snip very inferior to our regular lndiamen !;
but, as sailer, she was far superior, and in
point OF discipline, her crew was as well
regulated and as strictly commanded as the
crew Of a man of war. In fact such order,
regularity, and implicit obedience, | could
never have believed to exist on board mer-
chantman.
The chiei 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, a swarthy, ill looking Portu-
guese, who managed somehow or other,
daily to cause some disturbance amongst the
seamen. For this he had often been repri.
manded 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 a sailor who had offend
ed 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 beautiful young
English girl, to whom he was engaged to be
married, stopping occasionally to admire the
flying fish 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 pros.
poets, indulging in future scenes of life, as
steady as the trade wind before which they
were quietly running, when suddenly. ere a
soul could lnterpose, or even suspect his
design, the cook rushed forward and buried
his knife, with one plunge, into the heart of
the unfortunate young man, who fell with.
out cry, as the exulting Portuguese burst
forth into Il demoniac laugh of triumph.
Unconscious Of the full extent of her be-
reavement the poor girl hung over him, and
as a friend, who had rushed forward to sup
port 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 a
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 own son. The exasperated
crew would instantly have fallen on the
assassin, and taken summary vengeance-so
truly had they been attached to the chief
mate-and were only kept within bounds by
their commanders presence. The cook,
who appeared to glory in his deed, was in.
stantly seized and confined. The corpse was
taken below, while the wretched betrothed
was carried in state of insensibility, to her
cabin.
Eight bells had struck on the following
evening, when | received summons to ap-
pear on deck. |, therefore. instantly as
cended, and found the whole of the crew
dressed in their Sunday clothes, together
with all the officers of the ship, and the male
passengers assembled. The men on duty
were lining either side of the deck the cap.
tain surrounded by his officers, was standing
In front of the poop and the
unfortunate victim lay stretched on a 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 approaching the
burnt with a fervent heat; the sails hung
llstlessly against 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 indication of
our approach to the torrid zone. Through
the clear blue water, | had remarked a
couple of sharks following the vessel, accom-
panied by their usual companions, the pilot
oh ha
matter of course-as they superstitiously be-
lleve that these monsters always attach them
selves to ship in which dead body lies
In their appearance, however, | only saw the
of our vicinity to the Line.
In such weather, placed in a ship, which
seems to represent the whole world-shut
out from all save the little band which en-.
circles us-with the wide and fathomless
element around US, and the ethereal throne
from which God seems to look down upon
US at one moment our voices rising in
solemn prayer for one we have loved, and
the next, the plash of the divided waters, as
they receive in their bosom the creature he
has made-all these, at such a moment make
the heart thrill with deeper awe-a closer
with his Creator-than any resi-
dent on the shore can know-a consciousness
of the grandeur of God and feebleness of
man, which those alone can feel who " 90
down in ships and see the wonders of the
deep"
took my place among the other passen
gers. Not word was spoken. and | discOv
cred that we were about to witness the last
rites performed over our late friend, and,
stood in anxious silence when
suddenly a steady tramp was heard, and the
larbOard watch, with drawn cutlasses, slowly
marched down the waist, escorting the
whom they conducted to the side
Of the corpse, and then withdrew a few
PAGES, and formed a line, which completed
the hollow square.
We now began to exchange glances.-
Surely the assassin had not been brought here
TO witness the burial of his victim and what
else could it be for ? Had it been for trial
,as we had heard that the Danes often pro
,eeded to instant investigation and summary
we would probably have seen
the tackle prepared for hanging the culprit
at the yard arm. This was not the case: and
we all, therefore, felt puzzled as to the mean
ing of the scene
We were not long kept in doubt. The
second mate read from paper which he held
in his hand the full powers delegated to the
captain to hold court martial, and carry the