Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-01-28


ares
low decks, and had we rushed out then
we could have pulled the matches on
and made them prisoners. was for
doing so, but Captain Clark, who had
perhaps considered tho possibility be-
fore we fired a shot, pushed me back
and said:
Don't lose your senses, Ralph. II
we had them all prisoners, we are not
strong handed enough to sail the bark. y"
OF that gang of men l8 lay dead on
the decks, and in addition there were
three wounded men whom we let drag
themselves away Two Of the dead had
axes and two more had carried muskets.
We wanted to get these, and so we re.
moved the barricade from the door, and
was about to slip out, when Mary Will
liams lodged past me and was back in
minute with guns and axes. She would
have returned for some of the wicked
looking knives which had dropped from
the hands Of the sailors as they fell but
l seized her arm and pulled her into the
cabin. 1t was high time, too, for con-
himself ont Of the forehatch and fred
at her. and the ball struck the casing Of
the door beside her head.
The position now was curious one.
We held the cabin and by means Of tho
portfolios could sweep the decks clean
to the eyes of the ship, and yet we were
prisoners. If we had been few men
hny
while they were still in their panic, but
even to have stood guard over that
gang Of villains running loose between
decks would have demanded the services
Of dozen men. 1t was no doubt the
wiser policy to be content with our ad-
vantage, though no man could predict
how the affair would terminate. For an
hour everything was quiet and not mu-
tneer showed his head. Then white
flag was hoisted above the forehatch.
and York hesitatingly came aft to de-
liver a message. We had hoped that
some of our bullets had found him or
johnson or both, but it seemed that
they were untouched 1t was noticeable
that York had lost his jaunty air and
looked very much worried as he ap-
preached us, and his voice had lost all
it's impudence as he said:
Captain Clark, am sent to ask for
q truce of half an hour, that we may
clear the decks of the dead. At the end
Of that time we shall have something
further to say to you.
AS we wanted the bodies disposed Of
as badly as they did, no hesitation was
made in agreeing to truce. Three sail
ors and seven Convicts came up, and
with many foul word and bitter curse
they proceeded with their work. Per-
haps it would have been expecting too
much to suppose they would give the
bodies burial in the regular way, but
we were terribly shocked to behold
them lift up corpse after corpse and
heave them over the rail until the last
was gone When this work was com.
pleted, one of them went aloft to search
the sea for sight of sail, while the re.
mainder, with the exception of York,
dived below. When the man came
down and reported and disappeared,
York came aft to say:
Captain Clark, the blood Of every
man killed here today is on your head.
If you figure that one defeat will turn
us from our plans, you are mistaken.
We will have full possession OF this
craft if we have to fight you for a
month, and sooner than be defeated in
our object we will set her on fire and
all perish together. / now renew you
the offer to let you 20 off in the boats.
1t is the last time. 1t is for you to say
whether you will save your people or
let them stay to be killed. will re-