Year: 1860

snugly oePosiVeu III JaiI peiore u"ei'e
o'clock.


My shipmate and myself, soon after
ward, relieved ourselves of our handouts
and crept cautiously into the steerage, and
then passed stealthily up the cabin stairs
to the quarter deck The man at the helm
was terrified at the sight of us. With our
unshaven faces and uncombed locks We
must have looked wild and wicked, as if
bent on some desperate deed. He was
about to cry out, when VIZ menaeed him
with instant death if he made any noise.
A bucket with rope attached to it was
standing near the break of the deck, and
Jack told the helmsman to draw bucket
of water to " fetch the pump" The poor
fellow obeyed, trembling with fear, but as
he was leaning over the gangway, Hensdale
seized him by the leg and pitched him
hcadlong into the sea


The cook, who was busy in the galley,
hearing the cry Of his unfortunate ship
mate, as he struck the water, came out to
see what was the matter, but was compelled
to share his terrible fate. We now had
possession of the deck. The Captain was
below, asleep in his state room, and one
man was in the forecastle, ignorant Of the
scenes which had been enacted on deck
Horror-struck at the atrocious acts of which
we had been guilty, and shrinking from
the commission of further crime, / en-
treated Jack to save the lives of the Cap
tain and our remaining shipmate. He
replied with demoniac frown, that we
had gone too far to look back, that clem-
ency now was out of the question, unless
we were willing to swing on the gallows
for dead men only tell no tales,


Hensdale threw down coil of rigging
on the quarter deck, directly over the
Captains state room. The noise, as we
anticipated, awoke Captain Huxham, who
turned out, and putting on his clothes in
haste, assembled the cabin stairs, but be-
fore he could put foot on the deck, OF
was aware that the mutineers had pos
session Of the brig, blow from hand
spike in the strong hands,of jack Hensdale
felled him to the deck. We at once laid
hold of him, and bundled him over the
quarter rail. Only one of the crew re-
manned to be desposed of. He was sum-
moned on deck, and summarily despatch
cd.


"Now," said Jack, "we must be lively
and get tackles on the fore and main yard
arms, and DIST out the long


This was the only boat ON board, the
jolly-boat having been washed from the
stern in a gale of wind off Cape Clear
We rugged the purchases, hove the brig to,
and took the falls to the windlass, and
with but little trouble succeeded in
our undertaking. Our handouts were
thrown overheard. The log book and the
captains journal were destroyed. Jack
took few silver dollars from the captains
writing desk, but nothing beside was dis.
turbed.


"Now," said Jack, "we'll square the
yards, get the brig before the wind, put
the helm amidships, and let her take care
Of herself; and then the sooner we clear
out the better for our health"


At this time Block Island was in sight
not more than eight or nine miles off, and
as we were in the fair channel of vessels
bound into Narragansett Bay, Hensdalt
feared that some craft might fall in with
us, and our appearance in ships lone
boat would excite suspicion, and might
cause us to be apprehended. 1t was there
fore thought best to pull in toward Bloch
Island, in order to avoid the vessels OF
the coast, then lay in our oars and rcmair
in the ofIining until dark. according
ly embarked, after carefully cffacing any
marks of a struggle that might appear Oh
the decks, and without taking even Q
change of clothing Jack was desirous
of leaving everything in the forccastle
and cabin, and on deck, precisely as il
was when we commenced our fendisl
deeds. at will puzzle them for q long
time" said he, !" to find out what has be-
come Of the crew."


That night we pulled in to Block Island