Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-07-31
The Story of a Wreck.
Thrilling and Romantic Account of
 a Mutiny at Sea-
BY w. CLARK RUSSELL.

old man an. his daughter than did of myself; for if they should hear this bracging bully from their cabins, they would form very alarming conclusions as to the character of the persons who had rescued them, and scarcely know, indeed, whether we were not all cut throats.
 Shortly after this, Duckling came put on to the !uain-Ieci., and, obserV- ing me looking through the window, bawled at the top of his voice for the carpenter, who presently came, and Duckling, pointing to my window, gave him some instruction, which he went away to execute. A young, or dinary seaman-an Irish lad named Driscoll-was coiling rope over one of the belaying-pins around the main mast Duckling pointed up aloft, and his voice sounded, though l did not hear the order. The lad waited to coil the rest of the rope-a fathom or SO before obeying; whereupon Duckling hit him a blow on the back, slowed lim round, caught him by the throat and backed him savagely against the starboard bulwarks, roaring, in lam guage quite audible to me now: up with you, you skulker! Up with you, l say, or I'll pound you to pieces!''
 At this moment the carpenter ap- preached my window, provided with hammer and couple of blanks, which he proceeded to nail upon the frame work. Duckling watched him with grin upon his ugly face, the lump over his eye not improving the expression, as you may believe. l was now in comparative darkness; for the port hole admitted but little light, and, un- like the rest of the cuddy bOrths, my cabin had no bulls-eYe.
 reached the door with a great deal of trouble, for the iron bar hampered my movements excessively, and found it locked outside; but by whom and when l did not know, for l had not heard the key turned. But l might depend that Duckling had done this with cat-lke stealthiness, and that he probably had the key in his pocket. was hungry enough to have felt grateful for biscuit, and had half a mind to sing out to the steward to bring me something to eat, but reflect ed that my doing so might only pro yoke an insulting answer from the fel- low. With some difficulty l pulled the mattress out of the cot and put it into the bunk, as my pinioncd legs would not enable me to climb or spring, and lay down and presently fell asleep. l slept away the greater part of the afternoon; and when awoke a strong wind was blowing and the ship lying heavily over to it.
 looked over the edge of the bunk, and saw near the door tin dish, con- taining some common ships biscuit and a can of cold water. l was so hungry that jumped up eagerly to get the bis cult, by doing which l so tweaked my ankles with the irons that the blood came from the broken skin. I made shift to reach the biscuit, which proved to be the ships bread as served to the men, and ate greedily, being indeed famished; but speedily discovered the substantial grounds of complaint the sailors had against the ships stores for the biscuit was intolerably moldy and rotten, and so full of weevils that nothing but hunger could have induced me to swallow the abomination. managed to devour a couple of these things, and drank some water; anC then pulled out my pipe and began tc smoke.
 Time passed wearily. On further reflection l did not believe any cour would deal severely with me for haC the evidence of the crew that haC done nothing worse than to insist upoI the rescue ot human beings from ; wreck. But my position was decidedly unpleasant, none the less. As the even ing advanced the wind freshened anC all hands were employed taking il sail.
 Two bells (nine o'clock) had strucl when l was attracted by the sound o ho ,p,.t,N La irrI,f # m, cabin. With great difficulty hoistet my feet out of the bunk and drew my self to the port-hole. untwisted tn screw that kept the headlight close' and it blew open.
 Fearful of my voice being heard il the cuddy-for this was the hour whe1 the spirits were put upon the table and it was quite likely that Coxon O Duckling might be seated within, drink ing alone-I untitled my voice between my hands and asked who was there.
 The fellow damned his face so e1 fectually into the port-hole as to ex clude the wind, so that the whisper il which he spoke was quite distinct.
 "Me-Stevens, the carpenter. Pv come from the crew. But you're t take your solemn oath you'll not spll upon us if tell you what's goin' t happenP'
 'I am not in position to split" replied. "But 1 can make no prom ises until know your intentions.
 The man was a long time silent Several times he withdrew his face, a I knew for could not see him) b the rush of wind that came in, to shak himself free of the spray that brok over him.
 'It's just this," he said, bunging u the port-hole again. Wed rathe take twelve-month imprisonmer ashore, in the worst jail in EnglanC than work this vessel on the rotte food we're obliged to eat. What " want to know is, will you take charg O the ship and carry her where W tells yer, if we give you commando"
 1 was too much startled by this ques ton to reply at once. Influenced b the long term of confinement bt fore me if Captain Coxon remained cnutrol hu n1u hittaTs diclilya nf hiI