Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-01-27
CHAPTER XIII.
THREE DAYS AND NIGHTS.

Whatever our position IN the caplIl.
that of the mutineers was infinitely
worse. They had captured the ship anc
made US prisoners, and yet we actually
controlled the craft and they were pris'
oners to us. No man could take the
wheel or touch rope without being
fair target for our weapons. That the
fellows realized the situation was evil
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 a barricade across the deck he'
tween the fore and the main mast. They
were using casks and bales to do this,
and, though we could have opened fire
and driven them off, Captain CLARK de-
cided that barricade would be nc
menace to us. They had no ammunition
for the muskets and were probably erect
ing it to cover themselves while getting
a breath Of fresh air ON deck.
"I'll tell you what. Ralph" said the
captain to me as we stood alone on
watch after midnight while the others
slept, GIVE got hopes Of not only get.
ting the Hindu back into our own
hands, but believe we shall carry our
cargo to Botany Bay. They cant sail
the ship nor take to the boats, and what
are they to do?' ~,
"But if it comes on to blow gale?'
queried.
"Let us hope it won't. In that event
we may all 90 down together. :"
At Q 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-
zling over it for a bit, we decided that a
sail must be in sight to the eastward.
How far off or how near she would pass
us we had no means of knowing, as the
bark's head was to the south. Over the
top of the barricade we could see the
heads Of the mutineers and make out
that the object Of interest was on the
port bow. 1t wasn't ten minutes before
there was q furious quarrel among
them, and from such words as 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 vesse!
down to us, but it was more than prob
able that she would alter her course tc
ascertain why we were drifting away
with all sail carefully slowed instead Of
having everything spread to the breeze.
In the course of half an hour flag ot
truce was displayed above the barricade,
and a few seconds later York revealed
himself and shouted:
Captain Clark, will you give US the
boats and allow US to leave the bark?"
"Aye, that 1 won'tW replied the cap
tain, whose quick wit OWNED what
was in the wind. "The first one Of yor
on this side Of that barricade gets bul
let into him.
It was likely merchantman bearing
down ON us, and the fellows wanted
the boats to 60 off and capture her. II
another half hour we heard them shout
ing to somebody to keep off, as we hac
pestilence aboard. That was in revenge
you know. We knew, however, tha
the sight of the barricade and of 81
many men crowded together on the TO-
castle, even if they got no sight Of tn
convict uniforms, would hold th'
stranger by US until she had solved tn
mystery. While the mutineers wer
still shouting, she passed astern Of US
and we signaled her from the cabil
windows. She proved to be the Englisl
brig Vixen, London, bound from Por
Darwin. The two men in her rigging
figured out the situation pretty prompt
", and the brig was thrown into tn
wind and her boat lowered, and present
ly her captain was pulled under tn
stern of the Hindu. While the rest