The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-30


counted i've or SIX talking 10 little crowd
OF convicts near the ships galley ] saw
nothing of Mr.. Balls no: he other petty Of
fcers of the vessel. Tom sa id he supposed
they had been driven below with the orderly
part OF the crew aid were In the prison ers'
quarters, together with the captain, doctor,
Captain Barrett. the survivors Of The guard,
the women aud others.
There might have been thirty or sixty
eonvicts upon the poop. sDi, Will stand
ing beside convict right aft; | took the
man to be a convict until had stared
while, and then | saw that it was Mr..
Bates, the chief mate, who had evidently
been forced 10 change clothes with a felnn.
VIII, however, was dressed as usual. The
wheel was deserted. The calm was pro-
found. the sea fiat and sheeting into the
dim hot distance like surface of quick
silver The sun was now nigh and pouring
in splendor into the vast mirror of the deep,
aud his light was singing with heat, early
as the hour yet VAS.
A convict. flushed with drink, reeled up
to me and shouted: Heres one that amt
OF us. Change clothes, my beauty. Of with
them duds," and he pulled at his own coat
in a drunken, wrestling way to remove it.
Tom ttUk him by the throat, and running
him backward until he was abreast OF the
cOnvicts' galley flung him into the door with
a bitter curse. and the fellow fell with a
crash. My sweetheart shouted TO the mob
of cOnviCtS who stood near the ships galley
with the sailors: Keep that drunken ruff
fan off me or | shall kill him. Dive know
my compact? If this LAD is touched or
hurt" and he stepped back to put his hand
on my shoulder while he rOared out these
words in voice OF fury, YOU shall sail the
ship among you. You shall run her ashore
and drown every mothers son aboard;
You shall run her into man-0t-war and
find as many gibbets as you have necks."
As he spoke the drunken cenyict stag
gered out of the galley With blood on his
face from his nose; he cursed wildly and
incoheTently and was approaching Tom in
fishting posture.
ITS all right, Butler" bawled a felon,
get away aft to your quarters and look to
the ship"
IT'S time!' cried a seaman, and as this
was said three of the c0nvicts sprang upon
the drunken convict and thrust him back
into the galley.
Lie there!' roared one of them; "sezing
the ship amt getting our liberty, curse
you'll"
Tom took my arm and we went toward the
poop. / was terribly frightened. But Tor
Tom might have been stripped by the viii
lain! No one would have interfered. l
shuddered and trembled. and said: where
shall find some convic's clothes? Think
If | should be forced to change when you
were not by to stop it!'
lie halted at the foot of the poop-Iadder
and ga d, Put this on and give me yours"
aud pulled off his convict coat twas .arge
and loose, aud a more effeciual disguise than
WHY'S serge jacket or my mOnkey-coat 1t
was WHY'S serge that | handed Tom; he
found 1t small and tossed it to a young con-
Wet who stood grinnlng al us while we
changed coats.
IN find clothes when l want them"
said he, and | followed him I'd the ladder.
There were several stains of blood bout
the poop deck; the sight made me III. Tom
saw the sickness in nv face and exclaimed:
The heat is too much for you. Go ait to
your cousin. III join you in minute"
lie then. standing al the brass rail, shouted.
''Aft couple Of hands and spread the avn
ing. And lay aft a hand to the wheel, do
you hear"
Strained as his voice had been by previous
exertlou, it still rang clear and high. and
went through the ship with the carrying note
OF bell. l paused when lie shouted, and
took notice that the conTicts on the poop,
who were as fairly orderly as the fellows
in the waist. looked pleased on hearing him
utter the command.
He followed me and we joined Mr.. Bates
and VIII. Despite my sickness | found
difficulty in holdipg my face when viewed
Mr.. Bates dressed as a convict. lie imme-
diately said, addressing ne: Il see they
have figged you out also. But not to the
heels as | am. a fellow laid hold of me,
though Aaron had my arm with Johnstone
on POther side 10 let the gentry see that We
were his friends; Aaron said. Change with
like you the better in it.
Hes right" said Tom.
Two sailors came aft to loose the little
awning; bird man approached the wheel;
re looked hard at Mr.. Bates and then burst
into a laugh. The mate wisely turned his
back upon him TO conceal his temper and
held his peace; it was no moment then to
resent an insult, though this scoundrel sea-
man had been in Mr.. Bates watch since the
beginning of the voyage, aud with the rest
g.f In hnI nj. han xxaI I'D ht,
him. Tom stepped up to the fellow and
exclaimed in tone of severity that made
tie man shriHk, II suppose you know l am
the commander OF this ship now?"
" es. Sir"
"And l suppose you know that you are
an internal muineer@
The man stared at him in hangdog way.
He was the fellow who had spoken on the
f0Tecasile that morning about the roasting
Job which lay before them.
My command" continued Tom, kissing
his speech into the sailors face, gives me
unlimited power, and if | insist upon your
being hanged. up you goi Mr.. Bates is see
ond in command. and he is your chief mate
still Laugh again if you dare"
He fingered to stare at the man, who
shufiled ont, looked uneasily around him,
but made no reply.
"Bear hand with mat-awningw then
shouted my sweetheart to the two seamen.
"Larkiug, JeDhsoD, SimmOndS," he cried,
duuTeSSiBP some OIL khOb OF CODNlCJo VINO
stood looking at the sailors. help those two
loafers, will ye? Show 'em what 10 do and
how it may be done quickly. We've been
having our training, boys" lie added, with
great, violent laugh. "while those chaps
have been abed sucking their pipes"
Three Of the convicts sprang 10 his orders
as sailors would to the command of an Off
Ger. / caught Mr.. Bates staring at Tom
with amazement and admiration. just then
Barney Aaron, dressed In Captain Souther-
lands Clothes, the brass button on either
side the naval peak of his cap glittering in
the sun, came out of a group of eight or ten
of the felons who had been earnestly ana
soberly talking abreast of the foremost
quarter-bOat, and walked up to US
Dow, Butler" said he, I'VE wat your
advice. The idea was to sed the fellows be-
low adrift; but cad we spare the boats ,"
The others OF the select erew he had been
talking TO followed him ami came about us.
The crowd was quickly swelled. Before
Tom could fairly answer the whole of the
cOnvicts on the poop were swarming aft to
the Wheel near which we stood, to hear
what was said.
Tom. standing erect, folded his arms
upon his convict shirt, and gazing fixedly
at the prize-hghter said: "Pll not counsel
you. l accept no responsibility where life
is concerned. That was understood"
You cad give us ad idea?"
Tom shook his head. "You have put
this ship into my hands and III carry her
where yOu will" said he. i've got no
ideas outside that"
/ heard some murmurs as of grumbling
and some of the ugly faces looked savage.
You may growl as you please" said
Tom, running his eye augrily along the
crowd of felons. ''Fve agreed to undertake
as mnch as you have a right 10 expect. In
agreeing to take charge | convert myself
into head criminal aboard here. and of You
all Pm the surest to be hanged If we're
taken. Act as you please. Do what you
like. My parts big enough, isn'tit ?'
'Yar might just answer question:" ex-
claimed a convict.
You want to turn the people below
adrift." said Tom to Aaron. "Do sou
Mr.. Bates looked at the sultry, breatlless
expaBse of ocean; caught his eye and wit
messed horror and conservation in it.
How bany boats are we to give eb?"
said Aaron.
Reckon the number of people, then find
out the carrying capacity of the long boat
and quarter boats. See that they are plen-
lifully watered and prOvisioned. Give 'ein
sextant and charts, sails. oars and rud-
ders: let them be wanting in nothing IL
may toll for us Aaron. That's all | maon