The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-01-13
Was He a Coward P
THE CAPTAIN WHO WAS NOT a DUELIs

The bark lay in the port Of Santiago
de Cuba, and quite party OF passengers
were to go on board of her. Among
those was NJ. Dupont,
Capt Starkey had left his vessel, to
notify the passengers at the hotel that
all must be on board early. During the
conversation which followed, Capt. S.
made some remarks at which NJ. Dupont
the latter applied an epithet to the Queen
of England, which instantly brought a
glass of wine full in his face from the
hand of Captain Starkey. who was an
Englishman. All the party were in an
instant on their feet, and apparently So
bered, or nearly SO, by the unfortunate
issue of the wordy tumult.
Captain Starkey was the first to speak.
His flushed and angry features paled sud
denly to an almost deadly white, and he
stammered out: 81 beg your pardon,
NJ. Dupont 1t was wrong, very wrong
in me to do so, though not ineNcusable."
The fiery Creole, notwithstanding the
apology, at once challenged Captain Star
key, but the latter, much to the surprise
of all present, declined to fight.
->oC uSHt- Va pldfI iotdl NC SdItt MI
Dresmond, who had offered to be his
second, with grave earnestness, after a
painful pause: "you, whose name is in
the list of the British Royal Navy, say
this. You must be testing"
II am perfectly serious. | am opposed
to duelling upon principle
IA coward upon principle," fairly
screamed Dupont, with mocking fury, and
at the same time shaking his clinched
fist at the Englshman.
The degrading epithet stung like a
serpent. \ CLEAN Of fierce passion broke
out of Captain Starkey's dark eyes, and
be made step towards pupont, but
rosolutely checked himself
"Well, it must be borne was wrong
to offer YOU personal violence, although
your impertinence certainly deserved re-
buke. Still, repeat, will not fight
with YOU"
'But you shall give my friend satisfac-
tom" exclaimed Lieutenant Arguellas,
who was as much excited as Dupont, 'or
by heaven, | will post you as bastard, not
only throughout this isle, but Jamaican
Captain Starkey for ali answer to this
menace coolly rang the s0nnctte, and de-
sired the slave who answered it to inform
all the passengers of the sailing Of his
vessel. The Indignation Of the party
against the cowardice OF Captain Starkey
was intense.
The next morning all were at the ap-
pointed time on board the Neptune.
Captain Starkey received us with cool
but civil indifference The sneers OF Du-
init TO fro Il in,
the least appear to affect him. Noticing
this, Dupont approached the captain and
hissed in a whisper loud enough to be
heard by several Of the crew, Coward ~
Then he would have turned away, but
was arrested by grasp Of steel. Lis
ten, sir" said Captain Starkey; "individ-
ually, | hold for nothing whatever you
may say; but | am captain and king Of
this ship, and | will permit no one to
beard be before the crew. and here lessen
my authority over them. Do you pre-
sumo again to do so and will put you in
solitary confinement, perhaps in irons,
till we arrive at jamaica" He then
threw off his startled auditor, and walk
ed forward. The passengers were all on
board the anchor already apeak, was
slowly off, and we were in a few moments
running before the wind for Point MOrant
We had just doubled the Point and we
were cOngratulating ourselves on a safe
arrival in port when we were startled by
a huge jet Of flame shooting up from the
main hatchway, which two seamen, for
some purpose or other, had at that mo-
ment partially opened. The terror of
the sight-tOr the recollection Of the bar
rels Of powder on board flashed instantly
across my mind-for several moments
completely stunned me, and but that |
caught lnStlnctlvely at the Ratings,
should have fallen PROSTATE on the deck.
A wild outcTy Of ''Fire Fire THE most
fearful that can be heard at sea-mingled
with and heightened the dizzy ringing in
my brain.
was barely sufficiently conscious to
discern, amid the runrings to and fro, and
the inc0herent eXclamations of the crew,
the snewy, athletic figure of the captain
leap up as it were from the companion
ladder to the deck, and with his trumpet
voice commanded immediate silence, in
stantly followed by the order again to
batten down the blazing hatchway. This,
with his own assistance, was promptly
effected, and then he disappeared down
the forcastle. The two or three minutes
he was gone-it could scarcely have been
more than that-seemed interminable,
ana SO completely did it appear to he
recognized that our fate must depend
| upon his Judgment and vigor that not a
word was spoken nor a finger, | think,
moved till he reappeared, already scorch-
ed and blackened with the fire, and drag
ging up what seemed dead body in his
arms He threw his burden on the deck,
and passing swiftly to where Hawkins
stood, said in a low, hurried whisper, au-
dlble to me: "Run down and rouse the
passengers, and bring my pistols from
the cabin locker Quick. Eternity hangs
on the loss of a moment" Then turning
to the startled but attentive seamen, he
said in a rapid but firm voice "You
well know, men, that | would not on any
occasion, or for any motive, deceive you.
Listen, then, attentivelv. Yon drunken
brute-he is Lieutenant Arguellas's ser
vant-has fired with his candle the
spirits he was stealing, and the hold is
mass OF fire which it is useless to waste
one precious moment in attempting to
eXtinguish."
A cry of rage and terror burst from the
crew, and they sprung impulsively toward
the boats, but the Captains authorative
voice at once arrested their steps. "Heal
me out, will you? Hurry and confusion
will destroy us all, but by courage and
steadiness every soul On board may be
saved before the flames can reach the
powder. And remember" he added, as
he took his pistols from Hawkins and
cooked one of them, "that | will send a
bullet after any man who disobeys me,
and seldom miss my aim. Now, then,
to your work-steadily and with will p
1t was marvellous to observe the inhu-
ence his bold, confident and commanding
bearing and words had upon the men.
The panic-terror that had seized them
gave place to energetic resolution, and in
an incredibly short space of time the
boats were in the water. "Well done,
NV fa11nucf rThoro 10 ,1o,+1, of +;,~,o 7