San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-10
CHAPTER TX.

would soon be opposite Monterey, where
she had been once before to take in
cargo of hides and tallow. Two of the
sailors now on board had been with Capt.
Wilson on that trip, and knew well their
whereabouts, and they talked among
themselves more than ever at night and
when they were off watch, and had any
body paid attention to their manners they
would have suspected them of plots to rob
| George and Maxwell and to capture the
| ship.
At last one night, Just as the captain
had gone below to sleep, and there was
but the first mate on deck, for the second
| mate had been quite sick for several days,
the sailors all gathered on deck in the
shadow of the galley, and with a few
whispered words glided aft, and in two
| seconds had struck the mate senseless
| with handspike, and then they tied him
| securely hand and foot.
Then dozen Of them crept softly down
into the cabin with bare feet and to the
| captains stateroom. They all but one
| stood so as to be behind the door as it
| opened, and this one then knocked at the
door softly. The captain opened it
| instantly and asked what was wanting.
| The man answered in a whisper:
1.-THE mate wants you up, sir, at once"
The captain, completely deceived. start
| ed at once, fearing some disaster; but as
| he stepped outside his door he was in
| stantly felled to the floor and carried
helplessly on deck, where he was tied as
securely as the mate and left lying beside
him to recover consciousness or die, as 1t
might happen.
Then the mutinous sailors returned to
the cabin, and, using the same tactics,
tried to entice George and Maxwell out;
but George had heard their steps as they
| carried the senseless captain up the COM
panionway, and he seized cutlass and
determined to at least sell his life dearly
| If that was what they wanted. Like a
| flash the whole thing became clear to his
mind, and he knew that the sailors were
| there with the intention Of robbing him OF
his treasure. Boy like, he would willingly
have divided with them all, but he did
not like the idea of being robbed Of it,
| He reused Maxwell and told him his suS-
picions that all was not right, and they
| hurriedly dressed, while the men at the
| door seemed to be consulting together.
Finally the men seemed to have decided,
| for one of them spoke, knocking second
| time.
"The captain wants you on deck, sirs;
| there's a fire in the hold"
"We'n be there when we smell the
| SMOKE" said Maxwell.
you'll smell smoke soon enough then,
| by G-w cried Baxter, one of the
sailors, who was known, and feared, too,
| for his quick temper.
"You'd better let us know what you
want, and then Wen see about coming
out" said George calmly, MI the while
~. ,.1.tk - lose he a1I
| Maxwell had no arms whatever, and
there was absolutely nothing that he
could use as such, and so George and he
| were at the mercy of thirty muscular and
| murderous men.
| "Well, then, If you want to know, It is
| Just this ere way. You and the captain
and the mates is all to be put in the long
boat with two days. grub and water and
we take command of the ship. The cap
| tain and the mates is on deck all ready
for their trip and if you behave yourself
you can go with them; If not, well, we
can take you with us or leave you where
we found you, in the middle of tho ocean.
| If you come out peaceably all right; IL
| not you take the consequences.
/ George" said Maxwell in whisper,
'it's my opinion we'd better do as they
| say There's too many odds, and it's the
| money they want. It's pirates blood
money, anyway, and wouldn't never have
been no good to us, SO think we'd better
| give 1t up"
George reflected a moment and then
said:
"Will you tell me what your object is
| in treating us SOP
I'VE wanta the mona" said one of the
| Portuguese.
| "Well, come and take it then" shouted
| George, angrily.
| With that they seized the handle Of the
| door, and with one jerk it flew open and
| George raised his cutlass, 0nd Max
! squared off with his fists, but the state
| room was so small and the number Of his
assailants so large that all they could do
| proved fruitless, and George and Max
were both seized and carried like bags of
| cotton up the companion way, and then
| Esy were tied and set down beside the
| csptain and MATE who were Just begin
| ming to show signs of returning conscious
ness.
In few minutes moro the sick second
mate. was on deck, and then the men be-
| gan to lower the long boat, and in it they
| placed keg Of water and some provisions,
| O sail and compass and the oars, then the
| three helpless officers were laid in the bot
tom, not urgently, and the boat carefully
| lowered to the water. Then Maxwell was
united and told to go down, which he did,
| .-1 George followed with what alacrity
he could; anG they were Jnen ordered TO
least off"
In few seconds more the brig Also
| lutte went about and wore off and on due
west, leaving the five men abandoned in
| the middle of the ocean and in the middle
of the night.
George and Maxwell united the captain
and mate and tried to rouse them by chat