The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-11-04
The Story Of a Wreck.
Thrilling and Romantic Account Of
q Mutiny at Sea-
By w. CLARK RUSSELL.
CHAPTER L

France was rapidly fading from sight.
The sun stood within an hour of setting
beyond a bleak foreland. The north
wind, which had ratified US with an
acre of foam at eur bows right away
down the river, was dropping fast and
there was barely enough air to keep
the royals full. The whole stretch of
scene was lovely at that moment, full
of the great peace of an ocean falling
asleep, of gently moving vessels, of the
solemn gathering of shadows. The
town OF Deal was upon the starboard
bow, warm cluster of houses, with a
windmill on the green hills turning
drowsily; here and there a window
elittering with sudden beam of light;
an inclined beach in the foreground,
with groups of boats high and dry upon
it, and q line of foam at its base, which
sung upon the shingle so thatyou could
hear it plainly amid intervals of silence
on board the ship.
was in a proper mood to appreciate
this beautiful, tranquil scene. l was
leaving England for a long spell; and
the sight of this quiet little town of
Deal and the grand old FOreland cliffs
shutting out the sky, and the pale white
shores VIC had left far astern, went
right to my heart. Well, it was just a
quiet lcavc-taking of the Cid Country
without words or sobs.
1.-The pilot means to bring up. l have
Just heard him tell the skipper to stand
by for light SOU westerly breeze. This
is a most COMPOUNDED nuisancel All
hands, perhaps, in the middle watch to
get under way"
Il expected as much" said /, turn
ing and confronting short, squarely
built man, with Il power of red
hair under his chin, and skim like
yellow leather through thirty years
exposure to sun and wind and dirt all
over the world. This was the chief
mate, Mr.. Ephraim Duckling. conf
IDENTITY assumed by me to be Yankee,
though he didn't talk with his nose. |
had looked at this gentleman with
some doubt when ] first met him in
the West India Docks. He had blue
ewes, with east in the port optic.
This somehow made him humorous,
whether or no, when he meant to be
droll, so he had IN advantage over
other wits. He had hair so dense,
coarse and red withal. that he might
safely have been scalpcd for door
mat. His legs were short, and his
body very long and broad, and |
guessed his strength by the way his
arm filled out, and threatened to burst
up the sleeve of his coat when he Don't
it. So far he had been polite enough
to me, in mighty rough, fashion in
deed; and as to the men there had
been little occasion for him TO give Or
-derS rs vet.
II expected as much" said L 81
doubt if well fetch the Downs before
the calm falls.
There is a little wind over the land,
though. or that mill wouldn't be turn
ing"
Some of the hands were on the fore
castle, looking and pointing toward
the shore. Others stood in group
near the galley, talking with the cook,
fat, pale man. with flannel shirt
sleeves rolled above his elbows. The
pigs in the long-boat gruntei an. ac-
compartment to the chattcring of Il
mass of hens cooped under the long
boat
The skipper stood on the weather
side of the poop, against the star
board quarter-boat, conversing with
the pilot.
Have before You tall, wcll-shaped
man. with iron-gray hair, a thin,
aq1Iilinc nose, short compressed
mouth, small, dark eyes, which looked
at you impoEiously from under a per-
feet hedge of eyebrow, and whitlsh
whiskerS. WHICH slanted across his
checks, dressed in q tall hat, a long
monkey-jacket and square-toed boots.
Captain CoNOn was decidedly
good-leoking man. | had hearu be-
fore | Joined the Grosvcnor he was a
smart seaman, though bully to his
men. But this did rot prejudice me.
/ thought | knew my duties well
enough to steer clear of his temper.
The pilot was a little duSky-faced
man. with great buShy whiSkerS, and
a large, chocolate-celored shawl round
his throat, though we were in August.
] was watching these two men talking,
when Duckling said:
g It's my belief that we shall have
trouble with those fellows forward.
When we trimmed sail off the North
Foreland, did you notice how they
went to work?'
Yes, l did And I'll tell you what 5
che matter. As l was going forward
after dinner, the cook stopped me, and
told me the men were grHmbling at
the provisions. He said that some of
the pork served out stunk, and the
bread was moldy and full of weevilS."
..Oh, is that it?" said Duckling.
s'Wait till l get them to sea, and I'll
give them my affidavit now, if they
like, that then they'll have something
to cry over. There's POrtugee fellow
among them, and no ships company
can keep honest WHEEL one of those fell
lows comes aboard.
He went to the break of the poop
and stared furiously at the men about
the galley. Some of them grew uneasy,
and edged away and got round to the
other side of the galley; others, of those
who remained. folded their arms and
stared ut him back, and one of them
laughed, which put him in a passion at
once.
You lazy hounds!'' he beloved, in
voice of thunder. have ''you nothing
to get about2 Some of you get that
cable range there more over to wind
ward. You, there, get some scrubbing-
brushes and clean the long boats bot
tom. I'll teach you to palaver the
cook. you grumbling villains!' and he
made movement so full of menace
that the most obStiRste-looking of the
fellows got hfe into them at once, and
hustled about.
1 looked at the skipper to see what
he thought of this little outbreak; but