The Winslow mail., 1897-03-06

clapping OH sail. :"
1t was evident that the brig meant
struggling for her freedom. One little
patch of canvas fluttered out above an
other, and her people could be seen
working like madmen in the rigging.
She made no attempt to pass her antag
onist, but headed up the estuary. The
captain rubbed his hands.
''She's making for shoal water, Mr..
Wharton, and we shall have to cut her
out, sir. She's footy little brig, but
1 should have thought fore and after
would have been more handy"
st was mutiny, sir.
"Ah, indeedp'
eyes, sir. 1 heard of it at Manila.
A bad business, sir. Captain and two
mates murdered. This Hudson, or Hairy
Hudson, as they call him, led the mu-
tiny. He's Londoner, sir, but cruel
villain as ever walked. "
ellis next walk will be to Execution
dock, Mr.. Wharton. She seems heavily
manned. 1 wish I could take 20 topmen
out of her, but they would be enough
to corrupt the crew of the ark, Mr..
Wharton.
Both officers were looking through
their glasses at the brig. Suddenly the
lieutenant showed his teeth in a grin,
while the captain flushed to a deeper
red
''That's Hairy Hudson on the after
rail, sir. -
1.-The low, impertinent blackguard! !!
He'll play some other antics before we
are done with him. Could you reach
him with the long 18, Mr.. Smeaton?'
Another cable length will do it,
sir
The brig yawed as they spoke, and as
she came round squirt of smoke whiffed
out from her quarter. 1t was pure
piece of bravado, for the gun could
scarce carry half way. Then with a
jaunty swing the little ship came into
the wind again and shot round fresh
curve of the winding channel.
'"The water shoaling rapidly, sir, "
reported the second lieutenant.
'"There's six fathoms by the chart. !"
"Four by the lead, sir. -
when we clear this point, we shall
see how we lie. Ha, thought as much!
Lay her to, Mr.. Wharton. Now we
have got her at our mercy"
The frigate was quite out of sight of
the sea now at the head of this river.
like estuary. AS she came round the
curve the two shores were seen to con-
verge at point about mile distant.
In the angle, as near shore as she could
get, the brig was lying, with her broad
side toward her pursuer and wisp of
black cloth streaming from her mizzen.
The lean lieutenant, who had reappear
ed upon deck with cutlass strapped to
his side and two pistols rammed into
his belt, peered curiously at the ensign.
SIS it the jolly Roger, sir?'' he asked.
But the captain was furious. "He
may hang where his breeches are hang
ing before I have done with him. said
he. ''What boats will you want, Mr..
Wharton?"
eve should do it with the launch
and the jollyboat.
''Take four and make a clean job Of
it. Pipe away the crews at once, and
I'll work her in and help you with the
long eighteens.
With a rattle of ropes and creaking
of blocks the four boats splashed into
the water Their crews clustered thick
ly into barefooted sailors, stoid
marines, laughing middies and IN the
sheets of each the senior officers, with
their stern, schoolmaster faces. The
captain, his elbows on the pinnacle,
still watched the distant brig. Her crew
were tricing up the boarding netting,
dragging round the starboard guns,
knocking new portfolios for them and
making every preparation for desper-
ate resistance. In the thick of it all
huge man, bearded to the eyes, with a
red nightcap upon his head, was strain