Wichita eagle., 1889-08-27

triled with. l am master OF THIS snip, ana 1
intend to remain so. The Bonanza is freighted
with gold dust, and shall defend her with
my life! I command you ALL as true British
sailors, to bring forward your arms and lay
them on the capstanp
"You may not know that it is against the
shipping articles FAR sailors to carry arms
one OF the first questions asked when a max
ships before the mast is, Have you any
weaponsF
'There was silence among the men when
the captain ceased. We could hear the soft
Tapping of the sails overhead, and the occa-
sional scraping OF heel, as some one eased
his muscles by shifting his weight from one
foot to the other. Twas standing by the main
shrouds and remember counting the ratlines
over and over, to help keep my self control
It seemed brief lifetime to me, but I sup
pose it was hardly thirty seconds before four
men came forward and laid down horse
pistols. Not another man stirred. saw my
husbands face redden and his eyes flash an
grily.
lis no one else truep he shouted.
81 began to tremble lest he should lose his
self control.
HE called for some chalk. Chalk is al
ways kept on board for whitening spots
when a ship comes into port. He stopped
down and began to draw two lines across the
deck in front of him. Suddenly there was
a sharp click. Ny husband had drawn a
pistol and cooked it! An instant after he
rose to his feet and cried in a voice like
thunder, You may walk upto that first line
and lay down your arms, but if any man
crosses the second line I'll shoot him deadr
Il closed nay eyes, but when | looked
again could hardly see the top of the cap
stan for the bowie knives and pistols that
covered it!
THE captain called the sailmaker and
whispered a word in his ear He went be-
low aud came up with the irons. The pas
sengers lent a hand and in a few minutes
we had the ringleaders provided for.
Then the captain thought of Arnie. He
said, L understand you have got Arnie in
tow. Bring him up He was brought up,
pale as death.
Now says the captain, you've got to
tell all you know about this business
THE child's lips quivered. IF I Go they
Will kill me, he said.
You shan't be touched, said the captain
Still Arnold was afraid to speak. He was
trembling in every limb He was such
little fellow his head did not reach up to my
shoulder. 1t was the hardest work to make
him tell what he knew. David had to prom
Use that be should stay in the cabin all the
way, and at last ne told the whole story and
we found everything to be just as he said
He had heard it ali while lying in his bunk,
and the men bound him by dreadful oath
to secrecy, and swore they would murder
him ard throw his body overheard if he
should betray them. He believed they would,
but he felt that he must warn us He tried
to let the captain know in some way without
breaking his OATH but could not make him
understand; and had given me the scrap of
paper as last resort
The convicts had a large supply of weap-
ems, and had oribed the steersman to turn
the ship from her course little by little, in
tending TO mutiny and take possession of her
They wished to take her to some strange port
and then scuttle her, going ashore in the boats
and leaving us to our tate.
ARNOLD told which men had weapons in
their lockers and where the keys were, and
the captain sent and seized the arms. He
told us, also, that the ships cutlasses, which
had seemed in good condition at the last in
spection, had been deprived Of their blades,
so that, as we found only the sheaths and
handles remained, and we could not have
used them for our defense
The boy also told us that two or three at
tempts had been made to cut through the
gold tank and, on examining, we discovered
several places at the side where some sharp
instrument had been used. This explained
the fihug sound l had heard twice.
"Arnie saved our lives, and you may be
sure wa did not forget 1t,
I'VE reached England il safety, and be-
fore landing the passengers made up a hand
some purSaaor the boy. he was sent TO
good school and well educated. and today
Arnold Mcintyre is en- officer "A the royal
navy and one of the finest men in her ma
jesty's service francs S5oughton Bailey
in ST. Nicholas