The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-05-20


done, but TO kill him was not 60 easy
And We knew we might not be able to
starve him out, for amadman lasts long,
and with him there we could never work
the ship. He might have any amount
Of ammunition, and We could not now
afford to lose single hand. With all
OF ~ ct and the captain sober, 1t would
be the DEVILS own job If it came on 70
blow, In the end We agreed to wait till
daylight, and we put in the rest Of the
night on the poop, keeping sharp
lookout lest he might come out of the
top and run amucS at US.
When day came VIC dashed the helm,
for it was still calm, and arming every
body began to seriously think Of set
ting about getting rid OF him. But no.
body would volunteer to 60 near
enough to get chance to do it, and he
lay so close that Wa could not spy him
from the poop. II was very dangerous
TO venture near, Tor We knew the men
in the American navy were trained to
use revolvers, Ii we made him very
desperate without killing him he might
slide down from aloft and kill one at
least before getting himself knocked on
the head, In this fix thought Of the
lorehatch.
The ship was in ballast, and II the
fore-hatch was left off as it sometimes
was, We could walk forward along the
tween decks and pot him from behind,
from position where he could certain
ly expect no danger volunteered to
do this myself, as no one else did; be-
sides was the most used TO firearms OF
any one on board, except the man We
wanted to kill, so taking rifle, OF which
We had several, 1 went down the after
hatch. My weapon was small hunt
ing weapon OF the Ballard pattern, be-
longing to Captain White, Taking sew
eral cartridges, / stole quietly forrard,
and gained the fore side OF the fore
hatch, 1t was open, and could just
see over the fore yard. got q good
view OF Snakes, for he was standing in
the yard itself, leaning on the slings
with his back to mo. He had been
cunning enough to leave the top and
put the mast between him aud bullet.
But he did not think OF me.
II was very easy shot, of course, but
for q moment or SO | hesitated. 1t seem
such dirty work. But when thought
that no had stabbed three men to death
in their sleep and killed another, got
hot in my mind aud kneeling down
with my rifle against the stancheon at
the fore part OF the hatch, Just glanced
through the sights and fired. He roll
ed off the yard and fell on tho deck with
a crash. But he was dead before he
reached it, for we found the bullet must
have gone through his heart. 1t had
come out an inch towards the breast
bone from tho left nipple,
We passed him over the side without
any ceremony. 1t was the end OF him
but not the end OF the mischief he had
done. We buried the other three in
the usual way, for the mate read the
burial service over them. The captain,
who should have done it, was having
what Queenslanders called Jack
smither, or lonely, carouse, with his
rum bottle.
There were now really four OF US,
including the captain. Tho two China.
men were Of little or no use, except on
the jobs thoy shipped for, so we were
in nice pickle II we met any bad
weather, which Just about now was to
be expected, for October ia the hurri.
cane month in these seas. We were
continually at the glass and watching
the sky, for this long-continued calm
might any time break up in heavy
blow. Yet for some days longer it still
continued. and grew even hotter, until
the pitch fairly bubbled out Of the
seams Of the deck. And then, as we
were trimming the yards to bit OF o
cats-paw, poor Jack Silver dropped
down at the braces, and never spoke
again. We supposed it was q sunstroke,
for he died in a terrible fever, which ]
read in the doctors book that goes
with the medicine chest follows sun
stroke.
After this we were greatly cast down.
One more OF our mea2re crew was gone
out OF vessel that was heavily spared
and undermined even when we left
the Golden Gate. jackson himself,
though q courageous man, began to
think the ship was under curse, and
the carpenter would have taken to
drink ii he could have got it.
AS things stood now, when there was
a man at the wheel, we could not get
tho yards round even in calm weather.
II il came on to blow we knew II was
all up, but by way OF preparing for the
worst we made the royal and topgallant
sails inst and cut the courses adrltt. AS
they fell down on deck we dragged them
into the forese We thus made shift
handle her in moderate weather, but
that weather hardly lasted another
twenty.four hours. And now l began
TO egg on the mate TO bring the skipper
10 his senses.
Hang him for drunken hog" was
all that could get out OF him. for he
still had the remains OF that natural re-
speCt every seaman feels for the cap
tain. So It ended III my ordering the
carpenter and Smith, tho last A b., to
come down with me and secure him.
As he was very drunk, we did this east
ly, and then we rummaged out all the
spirits and started it overheard, with
the exception OF one case OF brandy,
which kept, as / had heard that mon
in his state will die II you cut off their
liquor all NJ once.
When he cnmo to and found himself
fixed up he stormed aud raved like a
wild boast for some hours, but at last he
was tired out, and lay sulkily, refusing
10 speak or eat. 1t seemed to us that
he was in a very bad way, indeed. But
we we're now coming to tho end Of II
for dead calm, which had lasted for
torty-eight hours, began to look mar
yellously ugly to sailors eye.
The sea was Just one sheet OF burn
ished glazing glass without a ripple or
swell. 1t just looked solid, and the sun
above was a rayless round, the color of
blood gluring through copper.colored
haze. Not block creaked; the silence