West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-04-01

SA$2 ~
She tUds back IN a minute NTH guns and
arcs.
low decks and had we rushed ont then
we could have pulled the matches on
and made them prisoners / was for
doing 80, but Captain Clark, who had
perhaps considered the possibility be-
fore we fired shot, pushed me back
and said:
Don't lose your senses, Ralph. II
We had them all prisoners, We are not
strong banded enough to sail the bark. :"
or that gang of men 13 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 tho door, and
i was about to slip out, when Mary Will
nams lodged past me and was back in a
minute with guns and axes. She would
nave returned for some of Lthe wicked
looking knives which had dropped from
the bands of the sailors as they fell, but
seized her arm and pulled her into the
cabin. IL was high time, too, for con-
vict armed with musket had hoisted
himself out of the forehatch and fired
at her, and the ball struck the casing OF
the door beside her head
The position now was n curious one
We held the cabin and by means of the
portfolios could sweep the decks clean
to the oyes of the ship, and yet we were
prisoners. If we had been n few men
stronger, we could have overcome them
k,al 10 ti,aw-
even to have stood guard over that
gang of villains running loose between
decks would have demanded the services
of "a dozen men. 1t was 10 doubt the
wiser policy 10 be content with our ad-
vantage, though 10 man could predict
how the affair would terminate For an
hour everything wa quiet and not "a mu-
timer showed his head. Chen a white
flag was heisted above the furehatch,
and York hesitatingly came aft to de-
liver message. We had hoped that
some Of our bullets mad found him or
johnson or both, but it seemed that
they were untouched. 1t was noticeable
that York had lost his iaunty air and
looked very much worried as he APP
preached us, and his voice had lost all
its impudence as no snid
Captain Clark, ! am sent 10 ask for
a truce of half az hour, that we may
clear the decks OF the dead. At the end
Of that time We shall have something
further 10 Say to you. "
As we wanted the bodies disposed Of
as badly as they did, no hesitation was
made III agreeing to a truce. Three sail
ors and seven conyicts camo up, and
with many foul word md bitter curse
they proceeded with their work. Per-
haps 1t 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 tho re-
mainder, with tho exception OF York,
dived below. When the man came
down and reported and disappeared,
York came aft to soy:
Captain Clark, the blood Of every
man killed here today is on your head.
IL 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 20 fight you for a
month, and sooner than be defeated in
orr object We Will set her OH fire and
all perish together. ! now renew you
the offer TO let you 20 off in the boats.
1t is the last time. IL is for you TO say
whether you will save your people On
let them stay 20 be killed. j will re-.
turn in 10 minutes for your answer"
He had scarcely Turned his back when
Smith, his wife, the two single women
and Mays mother all cried out ir
chorus that we should accept the offer
1 must admit that ON the face DO looked
reasonable enough, and at first thought
Do appeared To- be- the easiest way 20 o.
cape our peril But those who had eric,
ont had given no thought as 90 wha
might happen. After bit the captain
spoke to Us Ia the first place, be- de
clared, the mutiuecrs were not sincert
i'm their offer u was against common
sense 90 suppose they would lot us ge
away 20 fall ju wi IN some craft OF reaci
souo coast, 20 put "a man. Of war on theii
track. ~ they did not seek 20 Ovcrpovqc
us ~ sudden rush while we wcu
busy az the boats, they would afterwar,
run tho boats down with the Hindu
and that without risk to themselves A
70 setting the craft ON Gre. their live
we're a5 IrcDious 90 them az ours wer
tDus, and the threat wa- simply blus
ter Whom he had finished, AN saw tn
sense of hs remarks so pl3inly that u
ono bad o protest or argument i ha'
missed Mary whilo he was speaking
Juss as boz had finished. che came int
the main cabin tJ say.
The mutueors have made their wa,
eft TO Che huiAheads aud viii try @
como af us from that direction hav
boon listening aud can near them quit
plainly