The Penn's Grove record., 1885-01-31

strong and cheerful. l made up my
mind that Mr.. Rundell was to be obey
ed, so long as he vas my mate. | made
up my mind too, that once back in
New York 1 wouldn't ship again with
Capt. Hnxham. | think this resolve
helped me to bear a good many hard
words In this | believe | should have
succeeded had it not been for Jack
Hensdale, an English sailor, who was
always having trouble with Mr.. Run
dell. Hensdale was my watch-mate,
and | was doomed to hear continually
his threats of vengeance against the
man he hated. You're a fool, Tom, to
let him lord it over you 50. He treats
you like a dog. Why don't you turn
on him and show your teeth2"
| was temnted the next afternoon to
follow Jacks counsel. [ asked to be
let off duty. | had a bad headache and
wanted to get below, MIR. Rundell
looked at me with a hooking smile as /
asked him to let me off. $50 to Samp-
son with your headache, " he cried in
haunting tones. He would have said
go somewhere else if Mr.. Bland hadn't
been standing near.
He looked as If he wanted to spit at
and spurn me. Night after night did
Jack threaten what he would do to Mr..
Rundell, but he never did it, and | be
gan to turn a deaf ear to his promises of
revenge. / got tired of hearing him
talk on one subject, and | was thankful
when we neared Bristol. Now my
trouble was half over. | had borl e the
mates cruel treatment coming out and
| could bear it going back, so said to
Jack.
He swore at me and called me green
hand and fool. As we were going into
the harbor fresh trouble arose between
Hensdale and the mate.
Jack made some bold answers to Mr..
Rundelll, and the latter took a ropes
end to him. He lodged it, and ran aft
and made as if he would jump into the
water, but remembering he would lose
his chest If he did this, he turned back
and went to hls work. AS MI. Rundell
passed he gave Inc some order. | de-
spised him at that minute. | dare say
| showed what | felt, for pretending
that | didn't move when spoken to, he
brought his fist down upon me like a
trip hammer. 1t was hard TO keep up
courage under such treatment. When
| reflected that | should have to bear
this, and worse, perhaps, on the voyage
back, my good resolutions faltered.
Jack was always at my side to nurse
my wrath and to tempt me. He said
there wouldn't be any passengers going
back, and that the mate would treat us
like brutes. "Quit the vessel, " he said.
"Come with me, and | will show you
where to get gold. Wen leave these
fellows and live like princes" Jack
was a serpent in human form. listened
to his words. gave up my struggles,
adopted his evil counsel and tried to
desert with him. But III plan was
thwarted. Some of our messmates got
wind of it and betrayed US. We we're
taken prisoners. handcuffed and put on
board the Sea Bird just as she was on
the point of sailing. Jack would fight
but he was soon overpo wered by two
strong men. Course our luck lie said
as he felt himself a captive. The cap
tain and the mate seemed like evil
spirits. No pity had they in their hearts
for the poor tars who had borne insults
aud cruelty till they could bear them no
longer. | know we were deserters and
deserved punishment, but we didn't
deserve to be Knocked at always. Mr..
Rundell would cut a joke at u expense
every time he. passed us. The captain
made his jibes, too, and the crew smiled
and winked till | hated every of
them. | had got to be a bad fellow
then, but | grew worse. 1t seemed as
if the mate showed more malice every
day. Jack didn't appear 10 mind his
language, but when we were together
he would swear revenge and vow to
throw the mate overheard. One night
| was at the helm. A rough sea was
running, and l couldn't prevent the
ship from pitching heavily. Mr.. Run
dell gave me bad words, which raised
my blood. Just then the foresheet
slipped, and he ordered Jack to haul it
aft. Jack said he couldn't do it alone.
The mate went forward to lend a hand.
In another minnie the mar that had
made both of US miserable was battling
with the sea. Twas a black night;
black enough for any deed. | can see
now Just how the sky looKed-not blue,
but slate color. Every star seemed like
a staring yellow eye. They all winSed
as if they would pierce my soul-but l
cared for nothing, ven when the mates
call for help should have touched my
heart. They reused the captain and
crew. All iocked on deck. Cries of
murder filled the air. Hensdale and l
were knocked down, secured and con
fined. Our doom was sealed. We both
felt sure of that from the first, but we
were not left long iii ignorance of our
future. The captain visited us every
day and assured III as often that we
should be hanged as soon as we got into
port. Not a word of comfort fell from
his lips, not a ray of pity beamed from
his eyes as he told us what we had TO
expect.
1t was through him that Satan visited
me. l no longer cared what | did to
anybody. One idea filed my mind
that of saving my life. Why should
Jack and | let the captain reach land If
he was going to tie us to the ropes end
when he got us there. | was deter
mined against it. We began to try our
irons to see if we could get them off.
For some time it was impossible, but
by dint of working we managed to get
them on and off again. This wa the
first step toward freedom. We we're
nearing Newport rapidly The captain
paid us a last visit, and grinned spite
fully as he told us We should be In Jail
before II O'Clock the next day. The
time for rising had come. We slipped
our irons and went on deck. All is con
fusion in my mind as | try to remember
what followed. / know that captain
and crew were sent to their last ac-
count. One murder had scared my
conscience-the others were ~easy-but
didn't lift my hand against the cap
tain. Thank God for that. Neither
did | lift a finger TO help him. AS |
said before, my mind is in whirl when
| think of the bloody business that
made the day black as a pit. Two ma
lures were in me-my old self and the
devil and since had been treated like a
dog the devil had swamped Tom Hen.
way.
The deadly work was finished, aud
Hensdale and | were masters of the ship.
We had our liberty, but what should