The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-10

On the sixteenth day of our stay, as
near as cDi come at it, and while it
was my watch aloft, Captain Clark
called out to know if any of the mutt
neers were in sight. i could make out
three or four Cf them on bare hill a
mile or so way, but none nearer, and
I so reported 4. The captain then ordered
quarter boat down, and he and Haskell |
and Roberts went ashore after q supply |
of fuel. We were that pinched on board |
that we had already resorted to barrels |
and boxes which properly belonged to
the cargo. The plan was for the captain
to stand guard while the other two used |
the axes and carried the fuel to the
boat, and those Of us left aboard were
armed and vigilant.
The two men had worked for an hour.
when Captain Clark changed off with
Roberts. kept my glass on the woods
around them, but l did not once get
sight of mutineer. Winter though it
was, the dead leaves and branches and
vines were so thick that i only caught
occasional glimpses of our own men. By
and by the boat was we'll loaded, and
Haskell and Roberts came down to her
and stood waiting for the captain. The
sounds of his ak could be heard ut that
moment, and when they ceased we eX.
pected to see him appear in sight within
| half minute. About five minutes slip
ped by, and then / called down TO the
two men to go back into the bush and
see what had happened. They advanced
and were out of sight when / got {,
fleeing glimpse of Ben johnson and an
other convict hurrying the captain across
AN open space. The pair had crept up
through the bushes and surprised and
overpowered him.
called TO the men and ordered them
aboard at once, and when it had become
known that the men all were depending
OH so much was prisoner to our desper-
ate enemies had all | could do to pre-
vent the people FROM taking to the boats
and pulling away out to sea. 1t was "a
regular panic for time, and had hard
work to make them understand that the
bark had not yet gone out OF our pos
session. The capture occurred ut about
10 o'clock in the morning, and from
that hour on to in the afternoon the
weather was pretty fair. I spent most
of the time aloft with the glass. At 2
O'Clock the entire gang OF mutlneers as
sembled for a council. The meeting
was in front of their tents, and, though
l could not see the captain, had nc
doubt that he was a prisoner III one OF
the tents or huts. The council lasted fol
two hours, and, judging from the ges-
lures of the men, there was much excite
ment.
Most of our people believed that Cap
tain Clark would be put to death that
, day, but 1 flattered myself L understood
the plans of the convicts better thal
that. He would be q powerful weapon
in their hands, and they would use HIN
/, for all he was worth before taking hi
life. / predicted that we would hoal
from them before night and was not "a
all surprised when Ben johnson appear
ed lust ut dusk and hailed the ship.
knew what he was after and had als'
; made up my mind as to the course TO u
. pursued.
"Ahoy, therer' called johnson as h
stepped clear Ct the trees and stood II
; an attitude expressive of defiance.
"WeIl, what is it?'' asked.
"You know, of course, we've got th
|, captain.
eyes"
"WelI, what do you propose to q
= about it?''
{ "What can we do?''
y "You can save / is life and all other
if you have got proper sense Gem
= ashore, bring whatever you want, al
we'll give you up the captain and z
J. awav in the bark. We've talked 1t owe
u with the captain, and the word he send
= by me is for You to do II.
"And il we refuse?" asked.
u .Then you II find his head lying rigi
y where my feet stand when dayilgf
. comes tomorrow.
+ I told him that the proposition ha
o come SO suddenly that we were not pr'
y pared to give an offhand answer; ina
u while we were willing to make gre'
= sacrifice to save the captains life,
y could not speak for the passengers.
l. talked very civilly, as you may guess
70 and the point / gained was the one
q had i'm sight from the first. Johnso
II agreed to wait until the next mornin
it for our decision and gave me his woI
10 Of "bonor" that the captain should !
IL we'll treated i'm the meantime. AS
II our giving up the bark and goin
"a ashore, the matter could not be consi'
" cred for moment. Had a knife bee
N held at Captain Clark s throat he woul
70 have advised against it. Not one OF
~ would have been permitted to live
.. tell the story. Once we were out OF q
way the fellows would have had lit
IN 10 fear from pursuit
= had plan. to work under cover
aa darkness, which hoped mightturn o
=. successfully, but for obvious reasons
80 kept it secret as long as possible. M
. been aloft so often that l believed
could find my way to the mutineei
camp on the darkest night, and l pr
posed going there alone and making
-xxo.x..k o., froo tho caDtaln and Dill