, 1889-02-14

Rether aft, and all made prisoners at once.
TITS mutiny, Mr.. Lorin0!" shouted the
captain as | entered the main cabin.
"Arm yourself and we'll teach the rascals
q lesson not TO be forgotten!'
he had scarley stopped speaking when
bullet struck him in the right shoulder,
and shot bred at me Rrazed my head.
the open skylight. The captain sta 0aered
to the sofa and in a jiffy had the lights
out. Then pulled the heavy sash down
and secured 1t, and were safe for the mo.
ment: II needed no explanation to satisfy
me OF what had happened. The crew had
selzed the schooner. and Needham had
been murdered because he would nat join
the conspiracy. had revolver and
started for the deck, but the captain
! stopped me:
"Como back, Mr.. Loring. You have no
show! They would kill you before you
"But we must get the schooner backl" I
said.
Certainly; but we can't do 1t by throw.
ing our lives away. We are safe for the
present. Help me of with my coat and
attend to this wound. Jess, you take my
revolver and stand In the companionway
to guard the DOORS"
got ut the wound as soon and as care.
fully as could, and was rejoiced to find
that the bullet had struck the bone and
glanced of. Indeed, it fell out OF the
flesh as washed away the blood. 1t was
thus painful but not dangerous
wound. I soon had it attended to, and
the captain thought he would not be pre-.
vented from handling revolver. l had
just got him fixed up when some one rap
ped at the doors, and voice exclaimed:
Below, there! l want word with
you'll"
What is itp' demanded the captain.
The schooner is ours. as you, of course.
know. We don't want your lives. You
can have boat and start off as soon as
you please."
but we don't propose to go!"
Don't get cantankerous, old man.
We've got the schooner, and we know
eI ough to keep her. We don't want you
here. IL you accept our offer all right. II
you want to fight it out, then look out for
yourselves"
That's what we propose to do" re.
piled the captain, and then all was quiet.
J. crept to the head of the companion
stairs and heard the mutineers conversinR
what they said man ran aft to the wheel
and the Others began to make sail. The
calm was broken. knew the course they
would make without seeking u sight OF
the cabin compass. They would head to
the west, probably for King island, and
while between the south coast of Aus tralia
and the north coast of Van Dleman's land
a stretch of over 200 miles, there would be
no fear of meeting with any craft larger
than, a coaster, owing to the numerous
shoals and shadows. The breeze came up
lively and the schooner went dancing away
as lively as If all had been in peace.
They won't try to get at us for time.
and perhaps not until morning" said the
captain. land we must make ready"
We first made barrcade at the door OF
the main cabin, using the sofa, table and
chairs. Then we got out and loaded Ave
muskets, placed three cutlasses handy,
and. In addition, each had q revolver. We
worked inthe dark, but we knew where
have looked for the girl to break down but
there was never sign OF it. Indeed, she
expressed a nope that the men would not
give in too soon, and seemed to desire an
attack. When we had done all we could
We sat down and waited for the night to
pass away.
The schooner reeled off the miles at a
lively pace for the next four hours, and
morning came without our having been
disturbed. Then sail WAS shortened, the
craft laid to. and, as soou az the men had
had bite to eat, the leader summoned us
with:
Below, there!"
well, answered the captain.
1--WE will give you another chance to
leave. You can have n boat, oars, sail
water and grub, and no one shall hinder
your going"
Suppose we refuse to go?"
Then your bloed be upon your own
head! Rather than surrender the
schooner we'll burn her. and you with
her! III give you half an hour to think
We didn't want two minutes. We were
determined not only not to leave the
schooner, but to recapture her. We ex-
pected to be attacked first by the skyli2ht,
but this was a small affair and did not
command but portion of the cabin. And.
as we afterward ascertained, the only fire.
arms among the mutineers was dOuble-
bsrreled pistol, which had already been
want Of ammunition. Tney would also
batter in the doors of the companion, but
we hoped to hold them at the barricade.
They could not come at us by the way OF
the hold, for that WAS full.
We got q bite to eat from the pantry,
had glass OF wine, and by that time were
hailed for our answer. The captain re-
piled that we would not 90, and defed
them to do their worst. We heard them
moving softly about, and at her own re-
quest Jess was allowed TO pull away por.
tion Of the barrcade and creep up the
stairs to listen, while the captain and
stood with our guns ready to repulse any
attack by the skylight. Jess was return
ing to report when batterinR ram drove
in the doors hardly an arms length away,
and the men who had welded the spar
raised y yell at sight of her. Not one per-
son in 10 900, man or woman, would have
done as she did. Instead of sprippinv