Year: 1872




Many year ago, being in Austral-
ia, l shipped at Sydney in brig call
ed the Seashell. She was bound on a
kind of pickup voyage, after sandal
wood, shells, and other things. We
ran down to the Marshall Islands,
among the Ralick Chain. and anchor
ed in the coral lagoon at Ebon. 1t is
commonly known as Covell's Island.
The natives came out to us with lots
of English sovereigns, which they
were ready to barter for bits of tobac.
CO. In answer to questions rs to
where they got the gold, we could ex-
tort nothing but evasive grunts from
them. But, of course, We bought all
we could get.


l suppose that the captain must
have had in hand more than three
thousand pounds in gold when they
stopped bringing it off to us. There
couldn't have been more than four
hundred among all the rest of us. l
had about forty myself, and the cap
tain gave me ten more; indeed, he
gave the same sum to every man.
Fifty pounds was a large sum for a
foremast man to have all at one time
But we had some hard cases among
our crew-some who would stab a
man for a single sovereign, or throw
him overheard for his tobacco or
clothes. l didn't feel safe a minute
among these fellows; so l tied up my
fifty sovereigns in bag, and took
them aft, and asked the captain to
keep them for me, He readily agreed
to do so, and gave me a receipt.
But this act of mine was seen by
Bill Boltwood, the master spirit OF
these iellows-Dark Bill, as he delight
ed to be called-and he was down on
me from that hour. This Bill had
been a convict in the colony, and had
served out his time. i don't know
what his crime was, but he was capa-
BILE of anything. can't think of any
villainy that would be too bad for him
to turn his hand to, and he took as
much delight in the sight of blood as
a tiger is said to. I've seen him and
an Irishman, who was called Ugly Bar
ney, go into the back yard ola public"
in Sydney, and batter each others faces
all to pieces for pot of beer. They
seemed to do it in sheer enjoyment of
the thing itself


Well, Dark Bill says to me, with a
look that was meant to bully me
so you thought you couldn't trust
your shipma,es, eb, Shorty: Or did
you think you'd curry favor with the
Captain by trusting him with your
gold:"


"It's true" said l, looking him
square in the eye; there's some of my
shipmates that | don't like to trust"


"Do you mean that for me-" said he,
clustering.


Never mind. l didn't mention
any names; but, if the jacket fits, you
can put it on


"Id smash your head for five bob"
said he, clustering again.


Il don't think you would, if you
dared" | answered him, very coolly,
for l didn't fear him single-handed.-
II don't doubt you'd do corse by me
for fifty sovereigns; and don't want
to throw temptation in your way"


He glared at me, and ground his
teeth; but he didn't Offer to smash
my head" Perhaps twas because
nobody offered him five bob to do it;
but 'twould have been a dear job to
him at twice the money.


really believe they meant to rise
upon US that same night, and take the
brig there in the lagoon, only they
didn't see their opportunity clear
The next morning we got under way
from Ebon, and started on a cruise
among the other islands of the chain.
We didn't find any gold at any other
place, and the trade in shell was not
alarming. 1 head the Captain say ne
should shove her off soon, and run
down among the Caroline Islands,
thence TO China.


Dark Bill overheard him 600; and
that night there were more secret con-
fabs and councils than ever among his
gang. But this all seemed to blow
over, and the duty went on quietly for
1 WV VI ChiCC


We were drawing near to Strong's
Island, and expected to make the land
next morning. The captain had
worked up his reckoning and given
the course for the night, while Dark
Bill was at the wheel in the first part
of the watch. Soon after he was re-
lieved and came forward, I saw him
at the lee rail by the fore swifter,
watching the mate, who was walking
the quarterback. Selling the moment
when the mates back was turned to-
wards him, he darted into the lee fore.
rigging. 1 stood staring open-mouth-
ed at him, and wondering what he
was after. AS the main and middle
staysails were both set, he was hidden
from the mate while going aloft, and
reached the foretop without being
seen, except by me, and those who
were with him in the plot.


AS soon as perceived that he stop
ped in the foretop, it occurred to me
that the arm-chcsts had been left there
There were two of them, one in each
top, which had been placed there
while we lay at Ebon; and as we ex.
pected to go from there in few days
to some other savage Island, they had
not been sent down. They contained
both firearms and cutlasses.


Pretty soon l saw something swing
out by. the foremast which cleaned in
the moonlight; and when / saw that Bill
| was loWerino the cutlasses down by q
piece of spunyarn, to his mate, Bar
ney, who stood carelessly leaning
against the foot of the mast / no long