The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-08
ABOARD THE
COUNTESS
By M. QUAD
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1916, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

iii
The other day l saw notice In
Liverpool paper to the effect that the
courts had decided to rehear the case
of the brig Countess. To the general
reader these lines meant nothing.
do not suppose there are fifty people in
all England today who can recall the
case of the Countess, although the par
ticulars were published far and wide
and finally appeared in book form.
The Countess was a Bristol brig,
owned in part and commanded by
Captain Thomas, who was not only
thorough seaman, but man of excel
lent heart. We were bound out to
Georgetown, in British Guiana, with
orders to call at Jamaica. This was
my third voyage with Captain Thomas,
the other two extending only to ports
in Spain and return. was an appren-
tice, or ships boy, having nothing to
do with the cabin, but living with the
crew in the fO'castle and learning to be
a sailor.
After we left port and got things
shipshape had opportunity to look
over the crew and see what they were
made of, and was not long in making
up my mind, boy as 1 was, that we had
shipped hard lot There is always a
leader in the fo'castle. and in those
days it was the best fighter. Seaman
-; I'D, ho1 20 90 70
strength. 1t wasn't three days before
big burly fellow, who went by the
name Of Bristol Bob, but whose real
name was Ravens, had established
himself as "boss" If he had had the
good of the brig in view this would
have been for her benefit, but it soon
transpired that he had plans of his
own.
Before reaching Jamaica the crew
had been on the point of mutiny half
a dozen times.
One afternoon-it was on the fourth
day, believe-I was aroused from my
sleep by conversation between Bob
and man named Jackson. They
knew l was in the bunk, but believed
me to be sleeping sOundly.
"This is the plan as I have thought
it out" Bob was saying. "After we
have got the brig we will cruise to the
eastward for a spell. The island l am
after is not down on the chart. 1t is
northeast Of Trinidad and maybe 200
miles away from here"
HnnnSt Ml1nop fhn
other.
"Never heard Of 1t, but this is his
first trip this way"
The men presently went about their
business, but I made the pretense Of
sleeping soundly until called to relieve
the other watch. l was all in trem-
BILE over what I had heard and had no
idea Of what course l should take
While it seemed proper for me to go
to the captain or mate with my infor-
nation, the reader must not overlook
the difficulties in the way. / planned
dozen different ways to reach head.
quarters and that didn't put the cap.
tain on his guard was his own fault.
One night during our watch he call
ed to me to bring something from his
room. Bob and his friends were for
ward at the heel of the bowsprit, and
as | came out Of the cabin the mate
was at the water cask. AS / reached
him whispered:
Il should very much like to speak
to you or the captain, sir"
IF you don't get forward I'll speak
to you In way you'll remember for
year to come" he growled.
No doubt he imagined 1 had some
complaint to make, but If he had per-
mitted me to speak it might have pre-
vented the tragedy which followed.
A few nights later Bristol Bob called
the mate forward, and shortly after
ward he came to me and said:
Boy, run down and tell the captain
that the first mate is ILL.,"
L found the captain sound asleep.
but as soon as l had told him what l
had overheard in the focastle and
what | suspected had just happened
on deck it was wonderful how coolly
he took the exciting news. As he
reached for his pistols he ordered me
TO bolt the doors of the companion
way. The men stood at the entrance,
and as they caught sight Of me they
stepped back, supposing the captain
was following. slammed and bolted
the swinging DOORS
Inc fellows cursed and yelled, and.
though we could hear them moving
around the decks from that time until
daylight, they made no attack. Final
~ we heard some one working with
an ak on the cabin door, and the cap
tam made ready to fire bullet through
It. BY some carelessness the weapon
was prematurSly discharged, and he
received the bullet in his throat, dying
q few moments latar 7 xro.