Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-03-09
THEMATEOR THE Hindu
By Captain RALPH DAv1a
tCopyrisht, iso1 BY the Author.I

By Captain RALPH DAV&
copyright, lso1 BY the Author.1
CHAPTER XIII.
THREE DAYS AND NIGHTS
Whatever our position In the cabin,
that Of the mutineers was infinitely
worse They had captured the ship and
made as prisoners. and yet we actually
controlled the craft and they were pris-
oners to us No man could take the
wheel or touch q rope without being .
fair target for our weapons That the
fellows realized tho situation was evi.
dent from the quarreling among them.
We looked for them to make some
move during the night, and about mid
night we discovered that they were
erecting barricade across the deck he
tween tho fore and the main mast They
were using casks and bales TO do this,
and, though we could have opened fire
and driven them of. Captain Clark de-
cided that barricade would be no
menace to US. They had no ammunition
for the muskets and were probably erect
ing it to cover themselves while getting
q breath Of fresh air on deck.
"I'll tell you what. Ralph" said the
captain to mo as we stood alone on
watch after midnight while tho others
slept. 1--WE got hopes Of not only get
ting tho Hindu back into our own
hands, but believe we shall carry our
cargo to Botany Bay. They can't sail
the ship nor take to the boats, and what
are they to do?"
"But il it comes ON to blow gale?"
I queried.
Lot US hope it won't In that event
we may all go down together. +"
At 3 o'clock in the morning breeze
sprang up. but it was nothing to cause
anxiety. The mutineers were pretty
quiet during the last hours Of the night,
but when day fairly broke the whole
gang of them were suddenly astir and
betraying great excitement. After puz-
cling over it for bit, we decided that o
sail must be in sight TO the eastward.
How far of or how near she would pass
us we had no means OF knowing. as the
bark's head was to the south. Over tho
top OF the barricade We could see tho
heads Of the mutineers and make out
that tho object Of interest was on the
port bow. Ii wasn't ten minutes before
there was furious quarrel among
them. and from such words rs we could
catch We knew they were divided on the
course Of action to be taken. They had
no signal Of distress to set. even though
they wanted to bring the strange vessel
down to US, but it was more than prob
able that she would alter her course to
ascertain why we were drifting away
with all sail carefully slowed instead ct
having everything spread to the breeze.
In the course Of half an hour flag OF
truce was displayed above the barricade,
and q few seconds later York revealed
himself and shouted:
Captain Clark, will you give rs tho
boats and allow Us 10 leave the bark?"
AYE, that l won't" replied the cap
tain. whose quick wit OWNED what
was in the wind. 1.-THE first one Of you
on this side Of that barricade gets bull
let into him.
II was likely merchantmen bearing
down on us, and the fellows wanted
the boats to 20 of and capture her. In
another half hour we heard them shout.
ing to somebody to keep of, as we had
pestilence aboard. That was in revenge,
you know. We knew. however. that
the sight Of the barricade and of SO
many men crowded together on the TO-.
castle, even If they got no sight Of the
convict uniforms, would hold the
stranger by US until she had solved the
mystery. While the mutineers were
still shouting, she passed astern Of Us
and we signaled her from the cabin
windows She proved to be tho English
brig Vixen. London, bound from Port
Darwin. The two men in her rigging
figured out the situation pretty prompt.
ly, and the brig was thrown into the
wind and her boat lowered, and present
ly her captain was pulled under the
stern Of the Hindu. While the rest Of
Us kept watch on the mutineers and
prepared for any move on their part
Captain Clark stated our situation, but
did not ask for help He found that we
had drifted more to the north than
what we had figured on and that wind
and current were setting us in toward
the west coast Of Australia, but there
was nothing to worry over Us yet
The English captain had crew OF -
men, but not go much Us u pistol aboard.
He, however, offered to bring all his
men aboard to help in an attack and
was not little put out that Captain
Clark did not think it the wisest plan.
He was simply asked to report our situa.
ton to the first man-of-war he met, az
also to the first Australian bound craft
be should sight In fact, brief report
was prepared by our captain to be hand
ed to the proper officers When he was
ready to return to his vessel, the captain
pulled around to the bow Of the Hin
du and gave the mutineers q piece OF
his mind. They tried to shout him
down, but 1t was plainly evident that
his declaration that every man would
swing at the end Of a rope detracted
from .heir enthusiasm.
There was no change up to noon, ex-
cept that the breeze freshened little
For three hours after dinner the mutt
neers were 80 quiet that we became ap-
prehensive and prepared for rush. 1t
was we'll that we did. may tell you
that, aside from Mrs. Roberts, Mary
Williams and Miss White, we had no
assistance from the women. They were
frightened and nervous and could hard.
IL be induced to move about But for
Mary's cool, calm manner we should
have had no help at all. She went about
cheering up the children and speaking
brave words to the women. and seeing
that there were only enough men of us
to fitly guard the cabin she proposed to
keep watch at the bulkhead. It was ar
ranged that the three spoken OF should
take turn and turn about at watching.
and it was well they had their ears
open After dinner that day the fell
lows rigged up battering ram between
decks to burst open the bulkhead. It
was a heavy spar slung to the deck
beams, and with 10 or 20 men to give 1t
impetus the planks must have given
way before it.
It was Miss White who reported