The Republican journal., 1870-01-06

came steady, and the coward feeling left my
heart. He CROPPED his way slowly up the
passage, and then made the rush which have
described, as necessary to avoid the water
from the waste-pipe This rush brought him
close to me before he stopped, and we stood
face to face. My eyes were accustomed to
the dim light of the place, while his eyes
were yet dazzled by the bright glare of the
fires; so that | could distinguish his features,
While he was yet uncertain whether there
was any one there but himself / ought to
have seized the opportunity, and attacked him
at once, but ! foolishly let the moment pass,
and instead of acting promptly, sung out,
Who is thcre9' In a moment his eyes Lit up
with look of fierce intelligence; and with
suppressed exclamation, he sprang upon me.
The suddeness Of the attack made me start
back; and, my foot being tripped up by the
bag of cotton [ used for bed, we fell heavi-
y to the deck together, being undemost.
His left hand was on my throat and clutch
ing my hair with his right, he, with quick
lift and jerk moved my head to one side to-
wards the engine. I did not resist the move
ment much, for | had not thought exactly
where was lying: but, oh, think what was
my horror at the next instant to see directly
over me the end of the side lever descending,
and not more than three feet above my head !!
y
in time; but even then the cutter at the end
of the lever grazed my forhead in it's descent
The horror Of my position seemed to give me
for the moment preternatural strength, and /
succeeded in rolling my antagonist over until
l became uppermost and then | struck him
with my clenched fist two OF three heavy
blows on the face with such effect that his
hold of me relaxed, and l thought that had
stunned him. In q moment gained my feet
and fled; but | had been mistaken in fancy
ing that had quieted my antagonist; he was
nearly as quick as | was, and pursued me
closely. l rushed through the passage by
the side of the ship, across the stoke-hole
through the passage between the engines,
and thence to the platform and up the ladder
leading to the deck. The chief was close be-
turning my head; and | remember how I
heard his feet slip as he crossed the ilon tlool
of the stoke-holc directly after me. / tried
to fling open the door of the companion, and
gain the deck-I thought my escape was GER
tain. But oh, sir, [ had no sooner touched
the door than found that it was closed, fast
ened on the outside. | looked down The
chief was standing on the platform at the foot
Of the ladder; he held 4 revolving pistol
in his hand and was then in the act of cock
ing it /! There was no time for hesitation,
and flung myself right off the ladder upon
him. He fired, but without having time to
take aim, and was not hit. With the force
Of my fall, we both rolled off the platform
into the passage between the engines, the
pistol being at the same time dashed from
his hand. How we both escaped being
crushed by the machinery | scarcely know
but so it was, and directly we were both on
our feet again, and struggling through the
passage on to the slippery stoke ehole.
''llere, still graspng each others throats,
we paused to take BREATH and | saw then
that Macpherson and the stokcrs and trim
mers Of the watch were lying either dead or
dead drunk about the side platforms and
stoke-hole. | shouted rs we'll rs | could, but
without avail and then q thought flashed
across mc-the steam whistle! There was a
handle by which it could be sounded from the
engine-room. If | could but reach that, |
must alarm all the ship, and we might yet be
saved! But at that moment the companion
was opened, and the youth, the chiefs accom-
plicc, descended. He came down the ladder
hastily; but he had no sooner turned and seen
what was going on than he paused, rs it
frightened and irresolute how to act The
chief saw him ;ts soon rs did, and sung out
tohim-
: The pistol the pistol There between
the engines !
The youth picked up the pistol, and COM
ing forward, presented it at me; but could
see, even in that moment that he had omit
ted to cock it He pulled at the trigger, but
of course without avail. The chief saw. as
did the cause OF the failure cock it, t-n YOU,
cock it% he cried out; and then | heard
the clink as the hammer was drawn back,
and the chamber revolved. 1t was now or
never for me. l am Cornishman, sir; and,
H. tJ,o+ ,++I,
wrestler. | had regaincd my strength a lit
tie, and skill took the place of what was
wanting. 1t was my only chance. 50, quick
as lightning, [ gave ''toe," as we call it in
our country, and turned him over like top
towards the side on which the youth was
standing He fired at the same instant but
the sudden turn | gave my antagonist chang
cd our positions, and the bullet, after inlict-
ING u flesh wound in my arm, entered his
body instead of mine. The youth gazed for
moment with Il look of horror, and then.
with Il scream, threw herself on the body. !
And that same instant | saw who it was 1t
was no youth, but a woman, and our captains |
new wife. But | did not wait to speculate
on this, for | saw that the fires must be drawn
and had no strength left. | sprang to the
handle and sounding the whistle. There was
the well-known shrll shrek which could not !
fell down tainting on the stoke-hole floor
II remember little more that passed until
| found myself in the hospital at Panama.
The events of that night-my wound, and
want of medical attendance, tor we carried
no surgeon-had brought on an attack of
fever, and | had been dangerously i'll. ] had
been delirious, and when | did regain my |
the events which happened |
We're so mingled in my brain with the extrav
agant tarcies of my delirium, that | found it
difficult to distinguish the one from the other
soon discovered, however, that people had
been told | had been guilty of gross insu-
bordinatlon towards the chief engineer and
that he had been SO maddened by passion as
to fire his revolver at me- and that |, having
gained possession of the weapon in the strug-
gle which ensued, had shot him, to save my
own life Of course | denied this but my
ideas, and, no doubt my talk, were so incoher
ent that but little notice was taken of what
said Soon the captain of the steamer came
to my bedside, and begged and entreated me
in the most earnest, the most pteous man.
ner, to allow this version Of the story to be
believed. He said he had been bcwitched
by the charms and arts of that women, and
that none of the crew knew he was
already married, he had agreed to give her a
passage, and had taken her on board with
him as his wife She had obtained from him,