West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-05-13
FILL lI4TE0f 'IHE hindu
By Captain RALPH DAVIS.
lcopyrisht, 1856. by tho Author.l
CHAPTER XYIII.
DO FlNIsn or a sAnon,s Sol


liaDS was buried on the island. There
was another break in the weather, and
IL was fair day. About 100 people
went ashore, and of this number about
40 were armed 10 DO in readiness for
any move the mutineers might make
That the death OF the poor old man
was "A sad blow to wife and daughter.
nnd that they had tho full sympathy of
every one aboard, you cannot doubt In
my own mind L had planned that when
we reached port L would ask him for
Mary, and perhaps remain ashore TO
take hold Of the now life with him.
Now that nc was dead il was not likely
that the survivors would want TO remain
in that farof land, and of course mar
riage could not be thought of for months
TO come.
The men dug n grave on the cast
shore of the island. and, with the chap
lain of the lnan-of-war conducting the
services and al the officers ashore, we
buried the poor old man whose love and
solicitude for his daughter had given
him grave beRirt by the sea. / spoke
such words OF comfort and solace to the
widowed and fatherless as canlo TO me,
and in the presence Of her mother Mary
put her hand on my arm and said:
Ralph, it was known to father and
mother that we loved each other That
we have you TO comfort us and depend
on in this hour relieves the anxiety If it
does not soften the blow. Our future
will be guided entirely by you. "
Directly after dinner Captain Nc
Comber began 30 land a force of men on
the beach, and Captain Clark and l both
went ashore to offer our services. While
the courts in England had cleared both
Mary and | Of tho charge which had
sent Ben johnson into penal servitude,
both of us felt that our characters had
been stained. The only thing to clear
US was voluntary confession from Ben
johnson. l stated my idea Of this mat
ter to Captain McComber, and after
little reflection he replied:
Eyes, that is what / wish you could
get, but am not hopeful. From the de-
fiant attitude Of the mutinrers | am
ready TO believe that they will suffer as
10 shoot them down before they surren-
der. Johnson Is likely to be the very
first one TO fall. 1 shall send out flag
of truce and give them one hour in
which TO surrender. II they 90 not como
ln,we shall proceed TO hunt them down"
a sergeant of marines, accompanied
by six men, was at once dispatched 10
the camp Of the mutineers. did not
go along, but can tell you what han
pened OF sailors, guards and convicts
at the outset there had been about so
men. OF this number 48 We're left. The
marines found these men drawn up in
line III front of their tents Most of
them were conyicts, and, having lived
like wild beasts for so many DAYS. a
more villainous looking lot of men one
never behold. Not gesture was mado
nor sEoat uttered They waited in 81.
Ience until the sergeant had advanced
within few yards and delivered his
message. Then Ben johnson stepped
out and said:
Go back to your Captain McComber
and tell him that not a man cf us will
give IN. To he captured and taken into
port and tried means the hangmnn's
moose for every one of us. Wo will die
right herel Begin your man hunt ms
soon as you Wilt We have no firearms.
but the fun viii not be all on your
sidep'
When the sergeant returned and re-
ported, the captain separated his men
into three detachments. Each detach-
ment carried IA supply Of bandcuffs and
the orders wero TO take the mutineers
alive if possible. Captain Clark and /
volunteered with the first company or
detachment We might have been ex-
eused, but as tho convicts had ESCAPED
from Us we felt legally and morally
bound 70 aid as far az we could in their
capture.
Stretched out through tho woods, but
still IN touch with each other, the three
attachments moved to the north.
About two-thirds Of the distance 70
camp the detachment on the extreme
left was suddenly attacked as they
forced their way through the thickets
by the whole body Of mutinec1s. who
were armed with stout clubs, and many
had dashed their sheath knives 10 long
poles to use a. lances. As they attacked
the marines and sailors the mutinccrs
cried: No quarteri No uunrterrr
They fought 20 kill. nor would one Of
them surrender when called upon. The
fight did not last over five minutes. but
IN that time three marines were beaten
or stabbed 10 death, two others badlv
hurt and four convicts wore killed.
When tho mutineers retreatcd. thevcar-
ricd of four muskcts and the amnupi-
tion belonging 90 thcm and took refuge
IN q broken but thickly wooded piece Of
ground beyond thcir camp
Seeing that hc had underestimate
their strength and desperation. Captain
sent aboard for Is mountain
towitzer and Is supply Of shells. and 80
we advanced again the bursting missiles
were thrown into tho cOverts ahead.
Twice during the afternoon We tried to
open communication with the follow.
~ means OF "a flag a. truce. loyiuQ tloy
had had enough NJ fighting ana would
surrender, but each tiue The flag vas
advanced they fired ou tho bearer At
F1ndown, when We returned aboard our
respective ve is, wo had Lost four mon
killed and Three wounded. and $50 bad
billed .2it Of tso mutnaus. aI. con.
victs. The last four had keen killed fv
shells from the h0vltur
Ncarly add the Iuovi 1u4 talrn from
the Hindu whom we fnt the mon ashore
four weeks previously had boon wasted
OF consumed Before retiring to- tho
ieacn $50 G. 'Iuy,d what was l.f. and