Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-10-10

SoAut uhue4Stoou H. anu Coulu SPEAK II,
but never a hint of the fact had he let fall
before Palana or his companions
On the morning of the fourth day out
Sandy MeDougald bolted into my cabin
without so much as a tap on the door. His
eyes were wild, and | really thought his
stiff gray hair was starting up all over his
head. He swept the place at glance,
saw that We were alone, and then came up
to my side.
"Cap'n! D'you know what you've got
aboard this ship7"
What is it, Sandy. Don't keep me in
suspense Here, take drop of this
brandy"
| saw that he was much shaken; so l
took from locker over my table bottle
of brandy and glass
He drank; and then l motioned him to q
seat beside me, and then he told me-
Palana, and six others of the Malays
were in his watch. During the night last
/ past-they had had the -watch-he had
| seen Palana, about an hour after the watch
had been set, 90 to the forecastle COM
panionway and rap gently-a peculiar rap
on the trunk and shortly after four of
Malays of the other watch came up, and
! they all sat down under the lee of the long
boat. Sandy had remembered a place,
close abaft the forward chock, where he
! could easily c.awl under the keel of the
boat, and, as he suspected mischief, he
resolved TO know what these fellows had
4 to talk about. And he did hear.
"'Cap'n. They're a regular piratical
crew. 1t is business And they've ship
ped aboard the old whitney" for the sole
purpose of cutting your throat, and the
/ throats of all your old crew, and taking the
ship! And l heard the chief-that's
Palana-say where they'd take her. He
means to run her into little river. where
/ he has a lair, near Tringano, on the Malay
coast. Tomorrow nights the time set.
He has the first watch; and the blow is to
| be struck at midnight, when the watch is
relieved"
OF the entire truth Of Sandys story, and
doubt. Many things which had thus far
| appeared strange were now made clear.
Things which had puzzled me puzzled me
no more. But that was not all; on that
morning. after the men had gone up to
breakfast, Sunday had lun his hands over
Palana's clothes bag, and had plainly felt
a brace of large pistols, and two long
knives. And two other bags which he had
ventured to handle he had found to be
supplied in like manner
After little further conversation I bade
Sandy to keep a close watch, and we would
confer again before the coming night had
closed in. When l went on deck l found
Palana on the quarterback, but he left it
when he saw me. An hour later | saw
him standing where he could look down
into the cabin; and as he turned to move
away, l detected that peculiar look and
nod which man gives who sees some
thing that he is full sure will one day be
his own
Suffice it to say, during the day l saw
enough to assure me that Sandy was right
in every particular. The Malays seemed
| to be treading on air. They were hopeful
and happy; aye, they were jubilant. Their
black eyes sparkled aud their strong cordy
hands worked very expectanty.
During the second dog-watch, shortly
before shndown, Sandy beckoned to me
from the wheel.
'Capn" he whispered, as 1 came up,
| 'it's to be at midnight, this VERY night,
Paana is to kill you, Tolo is to kill Mr..
! Brackett, and Seelah is to kill Sampson,
and one of the Others that don't speak
! English, he called Bam-Bam, is to kill Mr..
/ Gould All, it's al laid out. The moment
! companionway of tue forecastle is to be
secured, and the work commenced. Of
course, the Malays Of the off-watch won't
| 90 down."
He had heard it all talked over, Palana
and his companions having had no fears of
his hearing, since they were sure he could
not understand.
I was now positive that the piracy-the
murder-was contemplated; that it was as
sure to come as the midnight hour, and
my plans were arranged. The course
had resolved to adopted was not original
with me- Captain John Baker, of the
barque "Florantine," had once resorted to
to the same thing in case of mutiny.
As soon as my plans were matured |
took my officers into my confidence, but
not until after the first watch had been
set. and the time for work was drawing
near
At eight o'clock Palana came up from
the forecastle to go on duty. He was to
stand the first watch. He had put on
loose fitting Guernsey frock, and l plain
ly saw the impression of two pistols be-
meath. And the other Malays had done
! the same.
The starboard watch was on-my own
and stood it, with Mr.. Sampson, as | had
| often done before. At nine o'clock l set
myself to watch my opportunity. l knew
that Bracket was ready in the cabin to
come up on the instant he heard the word.
| Sandy, also, was on the qUi rjre.
All! Upon the stroke of ten o'clock l
saw my chance! And here was the situa-
tion: The wind was west-nor west, which
! gave US the wind the beam, with the
| starboard tacks aboard, and the breeze was
fairly fresh. We were carrying full top
sails and topgallant sails, the royals furled
The Malay chief, Palana, had been con-
versing in the lee gangway with two OF
his mates. At precisely ten o'clock he
left them. and came aft as far as the main
topgallant backstay, just abaft which he
stopped aud looked over the rail. He
leaned both his elbows on the rail, and
appeared to be looking over into the wa
| ter-thinking-and not one of his com
rades near him.
"Now or never!" l said to myself, as l
crept swiftly but noiselessly towards him.
l had taken the precaution of putting a
pair of cloth slippers on my feet. came
up behind him. grasped him around the
thighs, and, with very quick, strong lift,
! hoiSted him overheard. 1t was all done in
a moment. He sent forth a sharp, wild
| cry as he went while |, starting back to-
wards the wheel, cried at the top of my
voice:
"Man overboardi Man overheard! Men
TO the braces! Lay the main topsail abackl
Quick Lively, my men!' Then Sandy