Year: 1877




Croil." Ben Croil, as / afterward
learned to call him, was man Of five-
and-fifty or sixty years of age; short
of stature, thin and wiry; his hair
cropped close, and quite gray; his face
covered all over with crows feet; his
eyes, which he had trick of shutting
up one after the other while he looked
at you, of a curiously pale and delicate
blue. As young man, Ben Croil
must have been singularly handsome,
as, indeed, he was proud Of telling.
In his age he had face which you
trusted; and "a for his mind-but we
shall come to old Ben's inner self
presently. For his sake / love and re-
spect the race of boatswains, quarter
masters, and non-commissioned Off
GERS generally of her Majesty's navy,
and of all the ships, steamers, and
ocean craft afioat. For if Merchant
Jack Is rude and rough, drunken and
disreputable, his immediate superior
is, as rule, steady as lion, temperate
as Newfoundland dog, and as true as
the queen Of my heart.


There was ships boy on board
there always is. l have heard it stat
ed that the bodies of ships boys are
inhabited by the souls those who were
once cruel ships captains; other peo-
pie think that they are possessed by
the souls of ships provisioners, ships
outfitters, pursers, navy agents, and
crimps. do not know which is the
true theory. Both sides agree that the
lot ofall ships boys is miserable, that
none Of them ever arrive at maturity,
aud that their sufferings, while in the
iesh for the second time, are regulated
by the evil they wrought in their
former lives. Our boy was curly
heaped youngster of twelve; not a
nice boy to look at, because he never
washed, and was ignorant of a comb.
soon found out that he not only
knew what was going on in the fore
castle, but that he went aft and told
the boatswain every thing he knew;
SO one day got that boy alone, while
he was coiling some rope, and | said
to hin: Dan, tell Mr.. Croil that he
may depend on me. I know what
you pretend to be so busy ut the wheel
for; guess what you tell him; and l
have seen you listening among the
men. You tell Mr.. Croil that he may
depend upon me II he wants me-"
The boy fell to trembling all over, and
he looked round carefully to see If any
of the men were within hearing. As
there was no one, he told ME in
quick, hurried way, that If he was
found out he would be murdered
that there was a plot among the men,
headed by Boston Tom; and that he
told every thing-that is, as much as
he could learn--to the boatswain.
Also that the men knew perfectly well
that the captain and the officers were
all armed to the teeth but that they
were waiting for an opportunity, and
would make or find one before long,
for they were all mad to be back at the
gold fields.


Now this Information, which cor
roborated my suspicious, served to
rouse me altogether from my brood
ing, and / began think what selfish,
heartless critter / must be to sit IN the
corner, and NOPE over my own mis-
fortunes, when there was this danger
hanging over ship and cargo. And
being, rs one may say, wide awake
again, of course 1 remembered the
young lady we had on board; and my
heart grew mad to think of her fall
ling into the hands of Boston Tom
and his gang of ruffians. So l was
glad to think had sent that message,
| and resolved to do my own duty
However, there was nothing to do
just thea but to wait until I should
have message FROM the boatswain,
so sat in my usual place and waited.


The boy took my message, but no an
swer came that day at all. In the
night a strange thing happened. It
was fair-weather sailing, with the
trade-wind blowing nearly aft, so that
all sails were set and the ship slipped
through the sea without so much as
rolling. I was asleep in my bunk,
| when / heard voices, as it seemed,
in my ear. They were brought to me,
| am sure, by special act of Provi-
dence, for never could understand
otherwise how / managed to hear
them. First, there fell faint buzzing
on my ear, which 1, being drowsy
and heavy to sleep, did not much listen
to; then l heard words plain, and /
| listened; the conversation came to me
in bits, but l made out enough. 1t
was evident that the crew intended
to mutiny-to choose the very next
night as gathered (but was wrong),
for their purpose, and to carry the ship
back to Australia, when they would
scuttle her, and land as near the gold
fields as possible. Once there they
would separate; and so. every man for
himself. And then heard my own
name mentioned, but could not hear
what was to be done with me. After
that the voices were silent, and l lay
awake thinking what to do next. Now
this sort of talk was not likely to make
me steep. therefore l got up, dressed
quickly, and was ready, as well as
broad awake; then, half an hour later,
just after one in the morning, heard
steps and whispering of men outside
the door of my cabin, which was un-
locked. "I'll do it at once" heard q
voice say, which l thought knew for
| that of Boston Toni will do 1t once;
and If any body asks after him, say
he must have fallen overheard.
Where's the spike?" One Of the two
went away; heard his bare feet on the
boards. stepped lightly out of the
bunk, and put my hand upon my
knife-such knife as diggers and up
country men used to carry-a knife
that would do for any purpose; at oil
events I would sell my life as dearly
as I could The door nponad