The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1921-02-11


girl and her old father Another man
was also there, alive, but insane. See
ing pannikin of fresh water, this
man grabbed it, draining * ana
dropped dead,
When we were back aboard the
Grosvenor, for my part In the res
cue was put in irons.
This wreck incident, added to fur
Their needless abuse of the men ana
the further failure of the captain to
live up to his promise Of putting IN
for better food, inflamed the crew be-
yond endurance. They watched their
chance, rushed the poop in the night
and Killed the captain. They then
killed Mr.. Duckllng. They might have
killed me, too, Notwithstanding that u
had shown sympathy to them, but
somebody had to navigate the ship
to within fifty miles of the Florida
coast, which was where they intend
ed to abandon her and row ashore.
Having the safety Of the young girE
and her father as we'll as my own life
to think Of, ! agreed to act as nayi-
gator
] was having my supper in the cabins
under the new regime when l felt q
touch on my arm. looked up IL
was Miss Robertson, the rescued girl
Before I could prevent her she tacAE
my hand and kissed II. She told me-
then of the wrecked ship. Her IA
Their, wealthy Liverpool merchant.
was the owner of the ship, which had
been bound home from Cape Town
After the storm, the officers and crew.
fearing the ship would sink under
them, had taken to the boats. Sha
and her father had spent a terrible
three days on the wreck, and now her
father, already a nervous wreck, was
shaken anew by the frightful threats
of the mutlneers here. She trusted fW
me for the safety Of her father ana
herself.
Her trust inspired me with new
energy. To save them I was n0N
ready to play any game whatever witlk
Stevens, who was the leader Of the.
mutlneers. Our boatswain, who haa,
not wished to join them, but to save
his life had done so, was on my side.
1t was he who told me that Stevens
was intending to scuttle the ship be-
fore taking to the boats, and so leays-
Ele and the passengers to our fate
We planned to Illustrate him. BY
this time We had taken Miss Robert
son into our confidence. One night
our boatswain apparently fell over
board and was drowned; but he hadn
not fallen overboard-it was hoE az
ten-penny pals, which I had thrown
over the side. This was the night be-
fore that day when Stevens went be-
low and bored the auger holes which :
were to do for the ship; but as fast an !
Stevens bored hole, the boatswaiu. !,
who had been hiding below for that
very thing, followed and plugged II up.
Thinking he had scuttled the ship,
Stevens came on deck and led the crew
to the boats, grinning evllly at Miss
Robertson and myself as he did So.
They had not rowed far from the shin.
when the boatswain showed himself
on deck. Stevens saw him. .We've
been trickedr he cried, aud headed
back for the ship. The wind was rfss.
ing at the time, but there was ma
enough way yet on the ship to Oufrum
the boats. They tried to board us hy
the main chains. As they did, the
boatswain with handspike and n
with revolver killed or hurled back
into the sea all but one Of them. Thnk
one was not so bad as the others, ana
we saved him to help work on thar
ship. Throughout the fight Miss Rob
erts0n, who had been gaining strengths
every hour, held the wheel 50 that TIA
ship should not be caught aback ana
the spars come down on u.s.
We had now to work the ship to ishe
nearest land; but the increasing winiz
made II dangerous with our meaeew
crew. to keep sail on her. We worked
like dogs TO reduce sail, but the wind
became too much for us. II came On
us like a solid wall; the seas roles
to our tops. Spars cracked and hung
down over our decks. Only after the,
most exhausting toll did we manage
to clear away the most dangerous a.
the broken spars. In the height Of n
poor Mr.. Robertson died. l read TN
eleventh chapter Of st. John over lin
body.
In time the wind abated; but tn
ven, continuing to tumble and roax-
strained our ship 30 that she sprnng =
eak. There were not enough Of ~ -
xeep her pumped out. We pnnpsa
I'M our arms fell to our sides; but -
10 avail. When the water was TO 6w
main chains we took TO the boa1Bs
Ind 1t was then, when we believed -
we're doomed to die. that Mary Robert
ION and I confessed our love for ea<hl
,ther, she the daughter Of wealthy
nan and I poor, penniless sailor.
The sun was setting; the sky. fnr -
he north and south. a golden coaers
he sea was q purple glare, the he9y-