The morning call., 1893-04-23
lantmast; it was clear that he was not in IL

lantmast; it was clear that he was not in the
secret.
The sailors extraordinary speech left ME
IN no doubt that the attempt to seize the
ship would be made, and soon. Not hint
OF anything wrong, Of anything brewing,
was TO be discovered. Never had the ship
worn Quieter. peace fuller face as she
h0aied along this morning over the smooth,
light blue of the trOplc sea, bathed in tile
early silver sunshine, her canvas cleaning
like IL, softly lifting and following. and
all right WIN her save that splintered
masthead They were washing down
the poUp; l saw viii ana others hard at
work with their scrubhing brushes.
A sentry stood at the head of each ladder,
and the captain was now on deck
looking mp at the injured mast and
talking about it with the ships car
penter. \ single sentry, as heretofore. stood
at the quarterback gate, another at the
main-hatch door, third on the forecastle;
thus the decks we're guarded Ov five armed
soldiers, as usual. Those who were off duty
louuged with tie women and a few chidre
near the BOBBY hatch, waiting to get their
breakfast. The convict cooks were al work
in their galley as l might guess from the
smoke which blew from its chimney.
The fate of the ship was in my hands
her fate and the lives and fortunes of a
crowd OF her peoplel A fierce. wild pride,
a wicked eXutation swelled my heart.
There was yet timel The captain was on
the poop; l had but to measure the length
of the deck to acQuajnt him with what
/ knew and The ship would be saved.
And sooner than speak l would
have killed myself! The blood would
be on the heads of those who had unjastly
sentenced and made q convict and broken
hearted, ruined man of MY sweetheart
Whatever devil had been driven into him
was IN me too; what lie did | would do;
what he wished would be my law; let the
change that had been worked in him be MS
frightful as you please, | would lay down
my life that he might get his liberty and
escape the horrors of the base and degrad-
ing term of servitude which he was 10
complete in n distant land. Yes, | could
have saved the ship by whispering a single
sentence in the captains ear, and had a
knife been put into my hand, and had |
been compelled either TO speak or to stab
my heart. | VOW to God / would have
sEeathed the kulfe in my breast without an
instanrs hesitation.
was not more than five minutes upon the
torecastle, then drawing a bucket of water
| went aft. Captain Barrett and Lieutenant
Gimme, as was their habit in these sultry
ATTITUDES, quilted their cabins in their
dressnc-gowns for bath in the ships
head. This refreshing bath they obtained
bv standing under the pump while their
orderlies, as | suppose you would cal the
soldiers who waited upon them, Piled the
handle. They returned in twenty minutes,
and disappeared in their cabins to dress.
l helped Frank to drape the breakfast
table, bat every instant my eye was going
toward the open window which overlooked
the quarter-deck. My hands trembled. l
frequently LEI Things fall, and three or tour
times Alr. Styles swoTe at me for clumsy
young fool, and threatened me with Mr..
Balls. Frank asked me what was the mat
ter, and | told him | supposed my nerves
had been shaken by the storm.
| think IL was about a quarter to eight
when Captain Barrett and the subaltern
emerged from their berths. As they walked
to the companion steps to 90 on deck the
captain and the doctor descended, and the
four came to a stand at the foot of the lad
der and talked. | strained my ear: their
chatter was of the liGhtest-the weather,
the wrecked topgallantmast, the soldier
who had tumbled down in fit and who was
now well.
Suddenly Mr.. Masters, who was on the
poop. whether in charge of the watch or not
l can't say, put his head into the skylight
and cried out in a voice loud with terror:
Captain Sutherland, the convcts are
breaking outl Some Of our men have
Knocked the fOrecastle sentry down. Quick
on deck, for God Almghty's sake-;he
maln-hatch sentry's 0verpowered and the
prisoners are pouring up!'
Just as he spoke musket was 1ired-then
second; some OF the women shrieked.
third musket was fired; this was followed
by an indescribable roaring noise of groans
ana yeilS, accompanied by the sound of the
tread OF many feet. The captain and the
doctor rushed on deck; the two military off
GERS to their cabins. out of which they broke
again In twlnkling, each man pulling a
pistol out OF its case as he ran toward the
companion. and finging the case down
as he bounded up the steps.
My God, what's to be done? Here they
areE shouted the steward, and followed by
Frank lie fled to the steps which led to the
poor.
A mass Of the convcts were coming
toward the recess where the soldiers arms
were. Gaining the steerage hatchway in a
leap or two, | rushed into my cabin, and as
closed my door and bolted it | heard the
prisoners shouting as they swarmed in to the
cuddy. Their footsteps Numbered over my
head. saw myself in the washstand look
ng-glass, and was as white rs milk l was
only sensible now of the horror that had
seized me at the sight Of the faces of the
Of the cnvicts, j stood with my hand upon
my heart. holding by the side Of the upper
bunk. breathing fastand listening but voices
could not pierce the thickness of the deck
plank. Nothing took my ear but the con-
fused treads and shuffling movement of feet
overhead like TO what | had heard when
lay in hiding, only softer because of the
carpets.
A horrid fancy seized me; shots had been