The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-08-04
.Esy ne .f-s:~s ZyEf.y..
RIG TAHITI--A SEA STORY
BY rANEs EAslEY.

Fer many weeSs G4oEA h21 pee. ga.henng over the beautiful ship N.o- i.n,e. cloud, which, day by day. srea l lsrrer and darker and more porIenious IF IS aspect. and which eventually burs; rnon ;he noble vessel with fury and violence 90 grea; as 10 crash down every bsrrier. ,c sweep away every yer. Of con- eealy,,en:. and reveal in a.l is hiGeeus- ress. ne deep lad plot, me base ig sra;i- ,cte. me utter inhu;nanity of tie or7lcers and crew of the lIolan.e 10 their captain. Tie very prime mover in ,his dissension. tae ari,ator of ail this disturbance. the promoter of all this storm. that sro.sa: ssch ruin and disaster. that causea slea e,reful loss of life. was none oiae: than he f:rs, officer of the snip. one Nho a5oye II others owed allegiance ,e ne cap.a.... one who II eYel a llau saea.4 nave been gra.esal. shouli have ooeyed CAFta.n Godfrey and remained loyal to me end For. wears a2o. before me tlo.an.e Es.l been buii, and Captain God!:ey VA. s4-.- ing the Black Prince between Callea aaG New York. he had been appealed Q 5y this same man. now his tirs. mate. ;c ;ase him aboard. ard allow h,m to work hgs passage home 10 New York. Tor Leslie had been Tn the employ of mercantile tirya who. failing IF business. left hirl frien6iess and almost penniless. upoa. l foreign shore. thousands ot miles rom home.
 He knew nothing whatever oi sea-iar- trs lite ard his services !: first were of lt,ie value. bu; long before the welcome light of New York harbor hai been slgh;ed, Leslie had fully determined 70 remain with Captain Godfrey ard aiep. the sea as his home. Since his advance rleat had been rapid, by easy stages bu; ln quick succession. the captain had raised him from landsman ,o seaman. to ordinary seaman 10 able seaman. then through the lis, of petty officers up to the position of second mate. and when the liolan,e had been laun ched and rigged ready for the sea, Captain Godfrey trans ferred the Black PEnce to other hands and became master Of the larger and faster sailing Nlolan,e, taking Leslie with him as his first officer, and ruly believe tha, for all the details of seamanship. the captain could have found no more thorough seaman and capable executive officer. Correct as was the captains ludg men, in this respect, he erred sadly. how ever. when he advanced his conclus.oas still fur,hes and judged Leslie also his late for any remedy, when in hls blind confidence he found himself beuA Ayei ani powerless in the hands of this back hearted villain.
 Leslie was young, full of energy and ambition and just so long as any chance tor advancement existed he strove to o5- tain |. On the other hand, the captain was o1dand grey in tho service still vigoroGB and hale and hearty 1t is true. bu, y4 6oGring 10 retire and spend the renaindes of his days upon the land- ani the last vU<1Go the Ii0lause hai made was to have 61n Cspkz1a Godhey's clos ing trip. and Fifst Mxseieslie WAS ,o nave assumed control of the vessel an. be known to ,he world as Cap,aia Leslie ot the A No. sailing ship N:o.an:e. Ba; the captain was no man of the world. The savings of many years he had been pe:- seaded by some very reputable and sup posediy earnes; christian gentlemen = inves. in bogus mining scheme, some g.lded bubble promising upon paper the most fabulous returns, but winch ex- ploded before these returns. these Gn4- cends were effected. ard IT exploding !: scattered the good captains IT es,mer; unto the tour winds of ;he e@.,h U. |: you please. i1.o ,he foar pockets Q. he above mentioned highly respectable. ar ] eminently honorable gentlemen who were the directors Q, ne company. And So t hat pened ,ha. OCT Hrs; mate was rot ye, Captain Leslie ard fcr;aersaore had no immediate prospect a a;ta.1ir : to that office with ali fs power and dignity and emoiumer.s. and now .re bad. wicked nature of ,ae man began :o show itself.
 Upon the return trip Of this voyage the vessel had beer victualed ari watered for a passage of some three months duration, bu, within the ,ropics !; became beczlned and lay idly for weeks with all sail spread 10 catch the breeze thz; never came. h all that time the vessel remained almost rnoiionlcss. dr.i.- ing by the masters ealculztion. but one degree from the poin; where frs. meet ing still waters. The great white sails hung loosely from s,he. yards. the sun poured down its fceIfal' rays upon the heated deck. the saaors lpsnkG la1.iy IT their harlmooks under .he awnings ard gasped for air and eoolness. To make matters still worse. Aa: dreai enemy of sea-faring humanity. ship fever. s~ooae1 down upon them and added 10 this Leslie began secretly 10 SOW the seeds of d.s- sens;on among the men, a;;H5u;ng he present state 0; affairs entirely .o ,ae cap tain's seanaastip 1T TO; avoiding some thing he ocgla 10: possibly nave forsees. The men began G.ing oT one by oae and were wrapped n their winding shect- and cas, into the sea. eaca f..sdlag gra. 2 deep and broad and 4lm1s. ,. ea1.ess
 Enormous saarss began 70 aeag-e ats zoou: the ill-fa,e1 st.p ard lay :1iy aa. most upon ,Le surface q me a.eg. w-..- ing for the nlorsels q .Ek nea. vasc- he sailors would sometimes toss g the-l ir order . see .he .9e-e-Sces @sr'-