The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-11-26

hraos wnat 10 90, as speaking to tell
them was waste of time and breath.
-Four hours at time to spend with
these pieces of sullep, silent machinery
and four below of dreading for the next
four on deck. After the towering and
threatening rocks of Gibraltar are
passed we have the broad expanse of
the Western ocean Gas the sailors term
the Atlantic) spread out before us like
big race track, and l commenced to
feel more contented. Europe is be-
hind, and home Is just few days away
at best, just over there, until can al
most smell the fresh earthly breczes
coming out to welcome us.
had noticed for day or two the
men in my watch standing around in
groups talking mysteriously when not
engaged, and sometimes their conversa-
ton became quite animated as ono
could see by the wild expressions on
their faces and peculiar gestures. For
q week this kept up and seemed to be
melted mostly by big, burly raw
boncd fellow. with long arms and
long, bony finger nails, which looked
more like devils claws than human
hand. He would shake his head
wildly, making the large gold
rings suspended from his ears bangle
like big pendulums. would inva.
riably put them to work at netting
to break up these communions, but
finally they left off very reluctantly
and cast such menacing glances ut me
that told the first mate of the occur.
rences when he came on deck to relieve
me. He seemed little surprised and
told me that the same had been the
case with the men in his watch After
talking the matter over awhile and
reaching no conc9sion, 1 went below
to catch n little sleep before the night
commenced. for 1t was my eight hours
out that night During my first watch
at night, the wind being steady, there
was but little to do, and the talking
was resumed, and during the morning
watch, four to eight o'clock, not only
my watch assembled to converse. but
also about half the starboard watch re-
manned on deck, but kept we'll up for
ward and spoke in whispers. At three
bells those of the starboard watch
who had turned in were called by their
comrades and the entire crew came
marching aft headed by the long-fin-
gcred, villainous looking agitator of
my watch and n similar one from the
starboard watch. They marched up to
the break OF the poop. halted, and the
two leaders came up to speak to me.
Its no go no more far away" said
the long-fngered man, and posed him
self for an answer. l pretended not to
understand, but he repeated it over and
over again, growing more emphatic
with each repetition. | called the
ell = nd E,.ct n
of the crew being aft and what they
had said. They both came on deck,
and again the refusal to proceed was
repeated to them. The skipper asked
them why, and, in very broken and dis
connected English, the spokesman ex-
| planned that. had they known the YES
sells cargo was the bones of their own
people being carried away to a far
country to be ground into pulp, to re-
store the strength to exhausted earth,
they would never have shipped They
considered it n sacrilege, a dissertation,
and demanded that not only should the
ship return them safely home, but
should discharge the cargo after reach
ing Alexandria again. Their harangue
was long and tiresome, punctuated by
shrugs, gestures and grimaces. and
their conclusions were definite The
skipper and first mate argued and
threatened but they were determined,
and refused to bulge until the ship was
bouted. The men went forward, held
consultation for short time, and
then sprang into the rigging like cats
and stripped her of every thread
of canvas. There we lay for the
entire day, rolling in the trough
of the swell under the poles. The
skipper stamped the poop like mad
man, swearing and threatening until
he was hoarse, but the heathens never
relaxed, nor did they eat. The long,
lonesome night was spent rs the day,
and morning daw ned only to find them
back again, as the preceding morning,
demanding to be carried home again.
The fury of the skipper was something
terrible; his oaths were blood curdling
and his threats murderous. They next
demanded breakfast, and, on being re-
fused, went straight to the galley,
threw the cook out bodily, and pro-
ceeded to help themselves. The skip
| per and mate made rush after them,
and, with revolvers drawn, tried to
! clear the place. / ran to my room to
arm myself, and while there the fight
started and became general. Sheath
knives, Delaying pins and pistols were
all being used at once. The pistols of
| the two officers did deadly work for a
moment, but the twenty-four Arabs
| were too many and surrounded them,
| killing them almost Immediately by
blows upon the head from the Delaying
| pins and wounds from their long, muir
| derous knives. BY the time | could
arm myself and get out of the room,
my two comrades were dead and they
were chasing the poor cook. who was