West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-05-06
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<StOy Of Adventure ON land daTd SEQ
BY 0NpTs RAlPGS GNVlS.
49,
Copyright, 1893, by the AuthoET
CHAPTER XVII

crowd of them swarned out of the for.
est and down on tho beach, and in their
madness and desperation they were nc
longer men. Their cursing was some.
thing awful TO hear, aud but for the six
or eight great sharks cruising around in
the hay they would certainly have tried
TO board tho bark in the face Of our fire.
arms They showered us with pebbles,
and some OF them even picked up hand
Ais q sand aud flung them in our di-
rrction. lie was a long quarter of an
hour betore they cooled down, and then
Bon Johnson stepped to the front and
said:
Aye, Captain Clark. You gave us the
slip last night, but we count ourselves
no worse Off Within week well have
the Hindu and the life Of every man,
woman and child aboardp'
Having exhausted their rage, they re-
tired TO the shelter of the forest and
their camp. 1t was raining that morn.
Ing, and cannot tell you how thankful
was. Those men had been worked up
10 that pitch that they would have fired
the bushes without an hours delay in
hopes TO encompass the death OF all
aboard the bark. They would ten times
rather have destroyed her than TO see us
Sail away. The last threat of johnson
could not make US any more vigilant.
for there was never minute we were
off our guard. Even the children were
put on watch during the day
SO far as | could observe from aloft.
the mutineers stuck pretty closely to
their camp, while the quarrels among
them were frequent and violent. In one
or the alterations one of the sailors
was killed, and through the glass
could plainly see them dig shallow
grave and roll him into it as il his body
had been the carcass of dog.
On the morning of the twenty-second
day Of our anchorage in the bay the sun
came up in n cloudless sky. The bad
weather was not yet over, but this was
a lull or break in it. / came on duty at
O'Clock that morning, ard as soon as
reaching my accustomed perch aloft I
unde out brig, with her sails aback
AID only about mile away TO the west
Che signal flag which the mutineers had
kept flying had evidently attracted at
tentlon. From the mum Der Of boats on
The davit5 | believed the brig TO be- a
whGler; but, If so, she must have blown
iushore or had some business / could
not well reason out She showed no
oolors, but took her to be German
or Dane.
lturned my glass on the camp Of the
mrtineers and saw them all running
down to the west shore i'll great haste.
j hsiled the deck and told Captain Clark
what was going on, and he at once came
up to me bringing the British ensign
aud rifle. Just as he got up small
boat with four mon in her pulled away
from the brig toward the shore. At the
same moment we saw such of the mu-
tlneers IA wore the uniforms Of convicts
secrete themselves in the thicket, while
the sailors were pushed to the front.
Ralph, we must block that game, "
said the captain after look through
the glass. IF they take off those men,
tho brig will be seized, her crew muir
dered, and the mutineers will make off.
III set the ensign flying, and do you
load and fire the rife as fast as you
can.
The boats crew had got within half
cables length Of the beach before our
signals were seen and heard. They could
see our flag over tho tree tops, and the
reports Of the rife must have been very
distinct The boat was held steady for
three or four minutes, and then the brig
sgnaled for her return. / saw man
going alOft with a glass and was salts.
fed that he could see me and would
make such report rs would stop the
boat Size pulled back 10 the brig, and
then came pulling along pho west shore
until she opened the bay and got sight of
as. We signaled for them to come in,
but they were evidently afraid Of
trap, and when we lowered boat 10
pull ont 70 them they at once took to
their oars aud rnwed for the brig We
hoped her captain might investigate.
but he evidently became alarmed M
their report and swung his yards and
made suil. Had ne como in TO us. he
might have lent Us q few men 70 navi.
gate the Hindu down tho coast, but in
driving him OFT we had at least baked
the plans IL the mutineers.
From the lookout aloft I saw them
return TO their camp. They wore wran.
Cling and quarreling, and many of them
stopped 20 shake thoir fists in the direc.
siOn Of the bark. We expected another
visit from them Oh masse, hut they did
not appear About midafternoon the
weather shat down again, accompanied
BY rain, and aboard ship we settled
down into the old routine. We were
daily looking for the appearance Of n
man-of-war, and think every man Of
Us felt more hopeless and discouraged
That night than 1t any time since we
had been embsyed. You can therefore
imagine our joyful surprise when. an
hour aitor midnight wo heard the boom
Of guns ON tho open ocean ~ tho south.
That 1prihod shat tho long expected re-.
lief ship had arrived. From tho moment
&c got the report If Eer first gun I'D tg
Daylight we wnro up and down and on
the watch. We could mako out hcr
lights and know that she was lying Co
for the day to break
IL Fccmed 70 az ag n daylight would
never como, bus when 80 finally did 10
was "a glad sight which met our eyes
Thwo was tbo old Erdoavor lying oot
there carrying forty odd guns and q crow
Of over 200 men. and rc had only made
her ont when boat Jeff haf side and
came pulling into tbo bay. Captain
Clark was taken on iu her t9 make Is re.
port ~ our case, and sUru aftrr nr. .r.