The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-03-27

and head to the southeast. ms was
soon after ~ o'clock and shortly after
my watch had come on deck. 1t was a
fine, starlight night, with tive-knot
breeze, and there was little work for the
watch to do. was at the wheel, for /
could take my trick in fine woather with
any of them. About l o'clock Bristol
Bob, who was in his bare feet, came aft
to the foremost and sang out, though not
over loud, and in a very respectful voice:
"Mr. Parker, the brig seems to have
picked up lot of floating wreck stuff
across her bows. Will you please come
forward?"
The mate growled out something and
disappeared from my view. Five min
utes later Bob and the entire remainder of
the crew came aft in a body, all in their
bare feet. couldn't make out yet what
was going on, and Bob took the wheel
from me and said:
"Boy, run down and tell the Captain
that Mr.. Parker has been took very sick
on his watch"
Some of the men chuckled bit over
this speech. and then l mistrusted that the
mate had been killed. On the instant /
made up my mind to warn the Captain.
l found him sound asleep, but half
dressed, and as soon as he was on his feet
l told him what had overheard in the
o'castle, and what suspected had just
occurred on deck. 1t was wonderful how
coolly he took the exciting news:
care you sure both watches are on
deck?" he asked.
"Yes, sir"
"And the men have come aft in a
body"
"Yes, sir"
SIS Mr. Miner with them?"
81 am sure l saw him."
"And Mr.. Parker is nowhere to be
SEEM"
"No, sir"
'9Then fear you are right. Go and
bolt the doors of the companionway for
me while get my pistols"
The men stood at the entrance to the
companion, and as they caught sight of
me they stepped back a little, supposing
the Captain was following. l slammed
and bolted the swing doors, but not a
second too soon, and was boiling the
door at the foot of the steps when l
heard them crying out that they were
betrayed. The Captain now joined me,
and in addition to the bolt we pulled a
lot of cabin furniture over against the
Il
The men on deck were very quiet for
the next half hour, no doubt holding a
council of war as to what should be done.
The first thing they did do was to alter
the course of the brig to due east, and
the next thing was to ask for a parley
with the Captain. He said not word
until one of them smashed pane of
glass in the skylight, and then he de-
manded to know what was wanted.
"The case 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 a
gentleman well 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 this?" asked the
Captain.
"All Of them"
81 don't believe Mr.. Miner is with
you"
"Aye, but l ami" 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 ]
stepped on deck" whispered the Captain
to me. "I'll be killed anyhow, and ]
might as well die like game man."
He then called to them that he'd never
surrender, and that he'd shoot down any
man he 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
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 a pistol
among them, while the Captain had q
revolver, double barrelled pistol, and q
musket. He also had sword in his state
room, which would prove an ugly weapon
at close quarters. While l was only q
boy, had both pluck and nerve, and
could handle 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
focastle, 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 island-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 bit of entry at the foot Of
the stairs, with turn to the right tt
reach the door. On account of this the,
could not bring beam to bear, nor coulo
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 II
bring the Captain out. He defied them
and thus two days and two nights passed
The brig had meanwhile been maxim:
good speed to the east, and we nov
heard the men growing because tn
island had not been sighted. On tn
forenoon of the third day there wer
several violent quarrels among them, an,
in one of these the second mate WA
stabbed to death and his body flung over
board. The Captain had treated me yer
/, kindly, and we had not suffered for foo
OF drink, there being a full cooler @
! water in the cabin when the row began
He had crackers. sardines and other fin
provisions in his own pantry, and while
! stood watch three hours he stood sis
: He said the end would be that both {
us would be killed, and he was impajer