Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-03
CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER OF ADVENTURES.

CHAPTER OF ADVENTURES.
It was the winter season i'll those lat
itudes, you will understand, and before
we had been in the bay week we were
saving up some of the planks from be-
tween decks to keep our fires going. The
day we buried poor Mrs. Saunders we
procured small supply of fuel from the
shore, but there was little to be had
without going into the brush farther
than we cared to venture.
On the sixteenth day of our stay, as
near as can come at it, and while 1t
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 of them on bare hill O
mile or 80 away, but none nearer, and
80 reported. The captain then ordered
auuarter boat down, and he and Haskell
and Roberts went ashore after 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 ether two used
the axes and carried the fuel to the
boat, and those Of us left aboard were
armed and vigilant.
Ehe two men had worked for an hour.
when Captain Clark changed off with
Roberts. I kept my glass on the woods
around them, but / did not once get
sight of mutineer. Winter though it
was, the dead leaves and branches and
vines were so thick that ! only caught
occasional glimpses of our own men. By
and by the boat was well loaded, and
Haskell and Roberts came down to her
and stood waiting for the captain. The
sounds Of his ak could be heard at that
moment and when they ceased we ex.
pected to see h'-n appear in sight within
half a minute. About five minutes slip
ped by, and then I called down to the
two men to 90 back into the bush and
see what had happened. They advanced
and were out of sight when ! got a
fleeting 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
ON so much was prisoner to our desper-
ate enemies had all I could do to pre-
vent the people from taking to the boats
and pulling away out to sea. 1t was
regular panic for time, and I had hard
work to make them understand that the
bark had not yet gone out Of our pos
session. The capture occurred at about
10 o'clock in the morning, and from
that hour on to in the afternoon the
weather was pretty fair. spent most
of the time aloft with the glass. At
O'Clock the entire gang Of mutineers as.
sembled for a council. The meeting
was in front Of their tents, and, though
could not see the captain, I had nc
doubt that he was prisoner in 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 I f]attered myself I understood
the plans of the convicts better than
that. He would be powerful weapon
in their hands, and they would use him
for all he was worth before taking his
life. 1 predicted that we would hear
from them before night and was not al
all surprised when Ben Johnson appear
ed Just at dusk and hailed the ship.
knew what he was after and had also
made up my mind as to the course to be
pursued
"Ahoy therer' called johnson as he