Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-01-27

Z ORh V lLLI, =. ~
right arm. The doctor was i'll and suf-
fering, and the escape Of his companion
might make the situation still worse for
him. In reasoning thus we were not out
Of the way. Just before sundown a
white flag was lifted over the barrlcade
and minute later Ben johnson hailed
us with:
81 say, what's going to be done with
the dead men over there:" -
"You can have them if You want
them," replied Captain Clark.
eff you won't fire on us, We'll heave
'em overheard.
"Go ahead.
You feel a thrill Of horror. Well,
the only way to get rid OF those
bodies was to heave them overheard.
II there had been one loyal man
among them, we should have felt sorry
to see him handled like dead dog, but
never a man lay there who wouldn' t
have laughed as he cut the throat of
one of the children. johnson did not
cross the barricade himself, but sent
four of his gang over to do the work.
When the last body had gone over the
rail, he stood up in full view, making
a great display Of the flag, and shouted
"Well, captain, you know that I'm
in command now, and I want to ask
what you propose to do?"
"We propose to remain right here in
possession of the bark" answered the
captain. "We can kill you off as fast
as you come, and it's only a question OF
time when we shall have help to cap.
ture every one of you.
"We;ll be shot down before We'll be
taken," growled the villain. "How.
sumever, perhaps we can come to terms
Give us the gal, and the mate, and the
boats, and We'll give up the doctor. and
leave the ship"
mo, STRIP
"Well, give us the boats and we'll
pass you over the doctor.
"You can t have the boatsP'
"Harkee, captainp' said Johnson,
while the gang behind him growled
and cursed and shifted about. "We are
as ready to die as you are If you won't
make fair terms, then we'll all go to
the bottom together. If you won't take
the doctor and give US the boats, then
overheard he goes, and we'll set fire to
the ship. Think it over for ten minutes
and give me an answer"
Can you realize the position Captain
CLARK was placed in? That was no idle
threat Of Johnson's, at least as far as
the doctor was concerned, and humani-
ty demanded that his life be saved. But
if they were permitted to come aft to
take the boats, who could tell what trick
they would play OH Us to get possession
of the cabin? 1t would be like them to
set fire to the ship as they showed of in
the boats. Thuy might disappear in the
darkness to return and attack Us. And,
above all, what would the government
say if we turned loose gang Of con-
victs to capture the first ship they came
across when we had all the advantages
of the situation? After three or four
minutes of discussion every man and
woman saw matters in the same light
as the captain did. Reinforced by Rob-
erts, we were better situated than be-
fore. Nothing was more certain than
that we could hold that cabin. When
Johnson showed himself again and de-
manded an answer, the captain replied:
"You cannot have the boats. If you
murder the doctor, it will be hanging
matter for every mothers son of you.
If you want to fire the ship, go ahead. I"
A scream of rage arose from the bow
of the ship, aud johnson shook his fist
at the cabin before he jumped down
from his perch. 1t is hard for me to tell
you that they carried out their threats
against DR.. Haxton, but within ten
minutes they had him on deck and
flung him overheard. You would have
thought they would have spared him. as
they had seven or eight wounded men
to be looked after, but in their despera-
ton they cared for nothing. The poor
man made no cry as they sent him to
his death, but we who were intently
listening plainly heard the splash when
he struck the water. Ten minutes later
there was a great fame forward and
shouts and cries from the mutineers
but we judged that it was only bluff,
and so it turned out.
Had it come on to blow hard, our po.
sition would have been many times
worse and perhaps untenable. The bark
would have needed looking after. and
we could neither have done it ourselves
with that gang ready to pounce down
on us, nor allowed them on our side Of
the harricade for fear Of results. It did
seem as if the hand Of providence was
in it as we went drifting away before n
breeze which hardly brought white
cap to the sea. That night passed quiet
ly away, and still we drifted, Not a
move was made on either side next day
nor the next The mutineers slept, sang,
danced, ate and drank, and all quarrel
ing was at all end, and in the cabin we
watched and waited and grew more
hopeful as the time passed on.
CHAPTER XIV.
WE REACH AN ISLAND.
"The Great Australian Blight" as it is
called, is an indentstion in the south
.I % h,,,t,ol;o oH xpbof 10 1,porpp