Year: 1872




prisoned.


A part of the partition between
them and me was in the form of light
wooden grating or lattice, to admit a
free circulation of air. This had al
ready been silently removed, and at
a whisper from me, we all went aft
together No firearms could be got
until we could open communication
with the officers in the cabin. This we
dared not yet attempt, as the partition
was solid, and some noise must be
made in wrenchinS n plank off.


The brig had been whaling on n
previous voyage, and the bunch of
lances, tied together, were still on
board. These we found in a rack I'M
der the deck .carlincs. Though lit
tie rusty, they were still sharp enough
to be terrible weapons in the hands OF
desperate men, il brought to bay.


We had hardly secured these,
when there was n rally at the hatch
way, and the pot of fire and sulphur
was lowered down. The hatch was
instantly clapped on, and the tarpaulin
drawn all over. Had we been taken
unawarcs, minute or two would
have been sufficient to smother us to
death. But we were prepared to
meet it, several tin cups having been
brought from the forecastlo and filled
with water from the cask. Before
the tarpaulin covering was fully Sc
cured over the matches, the fire was
all out, and had given the word to
the officers in the cabin to open com
municatiou by forcing off a plank.


The planks ran up and down, and a
few blows of an AK at the foot, given
from the after side, would start the
spikes. At the first blow, we heard
the sound of dancing feet over head,
and then the drunken shout of Dark
Bill-"Ay! knock away, my hcarties
| thought the birthstone would start
ye! Keep good watch on the fore.
scnttlc, you dar rkey! Go there with
him, Paine, We shall have break.
out soon, either forward or aft, but
they'll be blinded with smoke, aud
we'll have the advantage of EN-"


\ few more blows of the ax-thc
plank is starting! But how those three
spikes seemed TO cling TO the tough
wood. The enemy became suspici.
cious, and lifted off the hatch


Halo! the fires out" The voice
was that of Ugly Barney. Here,
Bill! Paine, rally here at the after
hatch Quick, before they break
through the bulkhead!'


Barney jumped down to seize the
pot. An opening was already made,
and we went through it, one at time.
lie caught sight OF us, but before he
could retreat, Joe Bonner let drive
his trusty lance, which passed through
tho ruiiian's body, pinning him to the
stanchion. His cry of mortal agony
brought his comrades TO aid him
We were beyond their reach. Our
whole force was collected in the cabin.


But we had friend in the cnemy's
camp. Ny chum. Dave Kent, was at
the wheel, and Bill, at the pistols
mouth, had kept him there; for he
could not spare one of his trusty men
to relieve him. He intcnned, no
doubt, to kill him, as well as myself,
after he got full possession of the brig.
/ had heard them hunting for me, and
Bill decided that / must be either un-
der deck or aloft.


"If he is aloft," said he, "we'll at
tend TO his case when we get day
light. If he's crawled below, let him
smell birthstone with the rest!'


/ knew all along that Dave Kent
wouldn't lose chance of helping us,
if he saw one. But he was pow erless
until the moment when the mutincers
rallied to the hatchway, at the pierc-
ing cry from Barney, leaving only
the steward at the cabin-door. Quick
as thought, Dave seized this fellow
from behind with his powerful grip
The pistol and cutlass were both use
less to him, for the movement had
been SO sudden and well-timed, that,
before he could raise an alarm, he was
jerked over the low tatfrail into the
sea, the cabin-doors were open, and
up we poured, with every advantage
of position, holding the quarter deck
in possession.


It was give and take for a minute.
But there were only four of the mutt
neers left, and we were the stronger
party. The second mate got his arm
broken by shot from Bill, and | got
a cut on the arm from cutlass thrown
at my head by the Parsee. But he
and Paine were both shot dead; and
Dark Bill, the chief desperado, crazy
with rum and rage, bleeding from two
or three wounds, knocked my chum
senseless with his last empty pistol,
and jumped overheard with a defiant
oath on his lips. You may well sup
pose that we did not stop to pick him
up. The last man fell on his knees
and his life was spared till we arrived
at Sydney, where he was tried and
hung


Our voyage was broken up by this
scrape, for we were too short-handed
to venture among the savages. But
we made a good cruise for the short
time we were absent, for we brought
our gold home safe, and spent it with
out troubling ourselves much about
where it came from.


-----e~----


A female "pusson of cullah" was
asked a few days since why she new
er wore white, as black women gen.
orally were fond of decking them
hn