Deming headlight., 1890-06-07

seen Bristol Bob aud his uhunl1 iu
close conversation. aud on several
other occasions iho cook had Slipped
into The lorccnallo. where ho lad no
business ID be, % hold coaiobs
could SEE plain enough that something
suspIcloua was ln Che wind and I
think Mr.. Parker also suspected the
plotting, as We had no sooncl loft
kinHHtou than ] Hw him closely
watching all thc men. ia scttlng tho
watches nlcw, Rob and two ol bis
friends aud myself wcro placed IA his
watch.
For the ffst three days out nolhing
unusual occurred The mou did their
work nv woll as could DO asked for,
and were 80 respectful as 10 create sur.
pfifo Egcrything wns on the surlnce.
however When out 81 sight Ia the
fo'castln the mon were growing and
ourslng worse than before One after
noon--ii was on The fourth day, 4 b..
level was aroused from my sIcop
during my watch below BY Z conver
satiDn between Bob aud d man named
jackson. They knew ! was In lhe
bunk, but believed mo % be- sleeping
soundly.
This Is the plan as have thought
Il out, Bob was saying. AFTER we
have got tho brig We win cruise 20 the
eastward for q spell. While / can't
shoot the sun or figure up aud get our
lQiitudo aud longitude. I can soc q
chart AZ we'll az any one, aud the log
will tell ra how far we have run. We
know that all the islands are % the
northeast Every one Il down on the
chart. Beyond thcm Ia tho Atlantic.
The island ] am after II NOT down on
the chart II ~ northeast Of Trinidad,
and be 900 miles away.
Don't Mizncr kmowE asked the
other.
Never heard d Il. but this Is his
ilfat trip this way"
lis he agreed"
-Certain. Flo ia TO be firt, you scc.
ond.r =
"But all aro 10 live alilseg"
Correct We arc just officers In
name. We all eat IN the cabin, sleep
where we please, and sharo and shats
alike Nobody u 10 Get hissolf up ~
/ better than amy body else.
That's fair. Aud the captain and
mate arc 10 got"
"Of course"
Well we'll have Il all understood,
and the man who gives Il away dicsV
"ill warrant you that ! cut his
throat with nay own hnndsN
The men presently went about their
business, but | made the prctunso 0f
slccping soundly until called to 70.
licvu the other watch. I was al In a
ticmble az what had heard, and was
also all nj sea ns TO what course /
should pursue. While Il seemed the
proper way for me 10 90 10 tho captain
or mate with my information, the
reader must not overlook tue difficult
ties Ia llie way. / should have no op.
portunity 10 speak with Mr. Parker
during the witch, and how was 10
get below 20 interview him or the cap.
tain without being seonl Had only a
part 0f the men been IN the conspiracy
might have succeeded very we'll, but
ns II was. all eyes would watch me.
They had not taken mo into the plan
because / was only Il boy and ~ no
account but II they had amy suspicion
that l had picked up information they
would witch me closely enough. !
plannedu dozen different ways 70 reach
the captain or mate. and that did not
put the latter on his sguatd was his own
fault One night during our watch he
called 10 me 70 bring him something
from his stateroOn. Bob and his friends
were forward at the heel of the bow.
spirit, and as / came out Of the cabin
Mr. Parker was nl the water cask. As
! reached him ! whispered;
~ should very much like 10 speak
10 you or the captain. sir.
III you don't get forward III speak
10 you IN a way you'll remember for a
year 10 Gomez hc grOwlcd. In reply.
No doubt lac imagined that ! had
some complaint TO make; but had ho
permitted metto speak the words Il
might have prevented the tragedy
which followed His rebuff discour
aged me from approaching him again,
or from seeking opportunity 10 speak
10 the captain, nnd from that time on
felt quite positive that some Of thC
men were always watching me.
We had fayoFlng winds aud a faii
passage up tho Caribbean, and on,
night heard Mr. Parker say 10 ths
captain. ns that Official was about q
leave the deck, that Trinidad would b,
on our starbard quai1cr by daylight
We wcre not 10 call There, but round
the island aud head 10 the southeast
This was soon after i2 o'clock, ans
shortly after my watch had come ol
deck. Il was "a ll,e, starlight niglt
with Eve knot breo1e, aud thope wal
little work for the watch a. do. ! wa
ai the wheel, Tor ! could take my tricl
in lne wc1thcr with any Of them
About / o'clock Bristol Bob, who wa
IN his bare foot came aft % the for
mast and sang out, though not Owe
loud, and in a very respectful voice
Mr. Pnrker the brig seems q
have picked up lot of floating wrocl
stun across her bows Will you plens
COME forward
Tho mats growled out souothingun'
disappeared from my vinw. Five min
uics later Dob and tie entire rcmuif
der of the crew came an Ia body, nl
in .hcir huro feet. / couldn't max
ont yct what WIS roiug on nnd Bo
took the wheel from nc andaaid'
boy. run down and tell the caplniI
that Alr Parker has becn took yer.
sick on bis watch. "
Eomo Of the mon chuckled a Bit ovr
lhig speech. and then mislrusiel thl
tie mate had boou killed On the
slant uin,le up nay mind 10 warn az
captain. ! found him sound asleep
but half dressed, and as G0ou as ~
vas on liis feet told him what | hai
overheard in the fo'oas,lc. aud what
, suspected had just occurred on doolf
, Il was wonderful how coolly lac too.
lie exciting news
Arc you sare both watches are oi
dcckl" 10 usl.ed
, Yes sir"