Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-04-18


The first thing they did do was to alter
the course of the brig 70 due east. and
the next thing was To ask for a parley
with the Captain. He said not a word
until one Of them smashed a pane of
glass in the skyighr, and then he de-
handed to know what was wanted.
1.-THE cast is this. replied Bristol Bob.
in his gruffest voice, Mr.. Parker has
been given lift over the rail, and is now
holding his trick at the bottom of the sea.
If you will come up and surrender like 4
gentleman VII turn you adrift in the
yawl TO sail yourself to shore. If you
refuse we'll make an end of you"
care all the crew IN this2" asked the
Captain
s'All of them"
Il don't believe Mr.. Miner is with
you"
Aye, but I am" answered that
worthy, land I'd advise you to do as we
ask if you care for your life"
They'd murder me the moment I
stepped on deck, - whispered the Captain
to me- "I'll be killed anyhow, and l
might as we'll die like game man
He then called to them that he'd never
surrender, and that he'd shoot down any
man ne could bring within range. The
fellows cursed and yelled in response, and
though we could hear them moving about
the decks from that time till daylight,
they made no new move. When day
fully broke, Bristol Bob again demanded
a surrender, but received the same an
swer. We expected them to smash the
rest of the skylight, but they hesitated
to do, as they would have no means of
repairing it when the Captain was dis
posed of. There was not even pistol
among them, while the Captain had
revolver, double barrelled pistol and
musket. He also had a sword in his state
room, which would prove an ugly weapon
at close quarters. While 1 was only a
boy, had both pluck and nerve, and 1
could handle a pistol to do an enemy
damage.
Daylight was not two hours old be-
fore the mutineers discovered that they
had captured the wrong end of the brig
first. They had the decks and the
TO castle, but the Captain held the cabin.
By listening at the stern ports and under
the skylight we heard much of what was
said. The brig was holding due east,
and we heard words dropped about a
mysterious islard-buried gold-living
like nabobs, and so on. How to come
at US was puzzle, but nothing was done
until mid afternoon. Then the doors of
the companion were burst in, and the
men encouraged each other to attack the
cabin door. Each hung back, however,
as there was n bit of entry at the foot of
the stairs, with turn to the right to
reach the door. On account of this they
could not bring beam to bear, nor could
more than one man work at a time.
Realizing their disadvantage, and wish
ing to come at their end the safest way,
they were ready to make any promise to
bring the Captain out. He defed them,
and thus two days and two nights passed.
The brig had meanwhile been making
good speed to the east, and we now
heard the men growing because .the
island had not been sighted. On the
forenoon of the third day there were
several violent quarrels among them, and
in one of these the second mate was
stabbed to death and his body flung over
board. The Captain had treated me very
kindly, and we had not suffered for food
or drink, there being full cooler of
water in the cabin when the row began.
He had crackers, sardines and other fine
provisions in his own pantry, and while
stood watch three hours he stood six.
He said the end would be that both of
us would be killed, and he was impatient
for the mutineers to begin their work, so
that he might get a shot at them. On
this the third day Bristol Bob stood on
the port quarter, while haranguing US
through the skylight, and the Captain
located him, brought his musket to
bear, and shot him dead. We knew
this from what was said on deck.
Half an hour later, as we heard one of
them at the cabin door, the Captain
made ready to fire a bullet through
it, and, by some carelessness, dis
charged the weapon prematurely and re-
ceived the ball in his throat, and he died
in five minutes. | was so overcome that
I hid away in his stateroom, and the
mutineers no longer had any one to resist
them. The first thing knew it was
night, and it was so very quiet that [
knew there could be no wind outside. I
crept out into the cabin, but everything
remained as I had left it. For two
hours [ listened for sounds from the deck,
but heard nothing from the mutineers,
and finally fell asleep. 1t was morning
when | was aroused. and then by men
dropping into the cabin through the sky
light They belonged to the Scotch
wha1er Bruce which was LIVING near bv