Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-08-03


 board of her!
 The carpenter now got of the sky light.
 '.I've told the steward to turn to 1 and get the mems breakfast" said he. ''Ourn's to be ready by eight; and | reckon I'll show that sniveling cock ney what it is to be hungry. You don't call this a mutiny, do yer, MT. Royle? Why, the men are like lambs" 'Yes, so they are," answered. "AH the same I shall be glad to feel dry land under me. The law always hangs the skipper of mutiny, you know; and Pm the skipper by your appoint ment So the sooner we all get out of That's right enough" said he; .and we look to you to get us out of it. ''
 "rn do what you ask mel won't do more," answered. l "We don't want more. Enough's what we want. You'll let us see your reckonings every day-not because we | doubt you-but it'll ease the minds of the men to know that we aren't like to foul the Bermudas. 1 "The Bermudas are we'll to the nor ard of our course," l answered, promptly.
 Ali right, MT. Royle, we look to you,' he said, with face on him and in tone that meant a good deal more dressing the others, "cut for ard and get your breakfast, my lads. It's eight bells. MT. RoYle, I'll go below and call the boatswain; and shall him and 1 me have our breakfast and you arter-
 ward, or you fustP Say the word. I'm 1 agreeable vichever way it goes. "
 "I'll stop on deck till you've done,
 l replied, wishing to have the table to myself.
 l Down he went and leaned over the poop rail to watch the men receive
 their share of the cuddy stores. They
 were decent enough in their behavior
 entering the cuddy one by one to re-
 ceive the stores which the steward was
 serving out
 The food consisted of butter, white
 biscuit, rasher of ham to each m an
 and tea or cocoa; excellent fare to men 1 who had been starved on rotten pro-
 visions. I also found that each man had been served with glass of rum. The carpenter was the first to come
 on deck. I had seen him (through the
 skylight) eating like 8 cormorant, his 1 arms squared, his brown tattooed , hands busy with his mouth, making
 atonement for his long fast in the fore
 castle. He kept his cap on, but the boatswain had better manners, and looked, as he faced his mate, quite , superior and different order of man , altogether.
 As soon as was alone with the boat , swain I said to him: ''Wbat has Stevens been talking about?", "A As said this l cast my eyes on the open 7 skylight to see that our friend was not : within hearing.s He shook his head, and after a short t "He's bad un! he's bad 'un! he's
 an out-and-outerr' "Do you know which of them struck 3 1 the captain down? l ''He did," he answered, at once. II could have sworn it, by the way in which he excused the murderer" l "Stevens," continued the boatswain a ''is at the bottom of all this here busi f ness-him and the cook. suppose he , didn't want the cook for a chum, anG I so knocked him over when he was go B ing to operate on Duckling's body
 But Duckling was bad 'un, too, anc f so was the skipper. They've got tc r thank theirselves for what they got n ! The crew never would ha' turned haC l they been properly fed" Il l
 tell you what's troubling me, boat = swain. The carpenter has some design e behind all this, which he IS conceal $ ing. Does he really mean that 1 should $ navigate to within fifty miles of New l. OrleansP"
 n "Yes, sir, he do," answered tht
 boatswain, regarding me steadfastly
 "And he means then to heave the shil
 to, lower away the boats, and mak IT for one of the mouths of the Mississip s pi, or land upon some part of the coas n and represent himself and his compan d ions as castaway sailors?'' It "Quite right said the boatswain D. watching me fixedly. Le "If that is really his intention,"
 proceeded, II can not believe that h l will allow me to land with the others X, He distrusts me. He is as suspicion IS as all murderers are." ltI The boatswaln continued eyeing m
 intently, as man might who strives t y- form a resolution from the expression ,r in another face. }. "He means to scuttle the ship," h ,o said, in low voice. st "Ahr' I exclaimed, starting. '' G. should have foreseen this" d ''He means to scuttle her just befor
 he puts off in the boats," he added, i h a whisper.
 Ln watched him anxiously, for sa0 ee that he had more to tell me. H lg looked up at both skylights, then tc to ward the cuddy door, then toward tn u, companion-ladder bent over to m
 and said:
 i'll ''Mr. Royle, he don't mean to let yo l leave the vessel" W ''He means to scuttle her, leavin
 me on board?" n- He nodded.
 e, ''Did he tell you thisp" e, He nodded again. Ii ''WhenP'
 s. 'Just now"
 "And them?" I exclaimed, pointin d, toward the cabin in which were M e. Robertson and his daughter.
 They'll be left, too," he replied. ut Itook a deep breath and closed tt CT knife and fork on my plate. nd EGNOrU theO nataiN bawlad the ca