DESCRIBES A MUTINY, AND SHOWS THAT THE BEST OF FRIENDS MAY PART SOONER
THAN THEY EXPECT.
"A wilful man will have his way." That this is a true proverb is almost
universally admitted; indeed, there is reason to believe that it is
equally true of women as of men; nevertheless, Captain Blathers did not
believe it although he was himself a living illustration of its truth.
He laughed at Captain Dall when that worthy warned him of the mutinous
intentions of his crew, and when several weeks had passed away without
any signs of disaffection appearing, he rallied him a good deal about
what he styled his suspicious disposition, and refused to take any steps
to guard against surprise. The consequence was, that when the storm did
break, he was utterly unprepared to meet it.
Griffin, the second mate, was the leader of the conspiracy, but so ably
did he act his villainous part, that no one suspected him. He was a
tall, powerful, swarthy man, with a handsome but forbidding countenance.
One evening a little before sunset, while the captain was sitting at tea
with those who usually messed in the cabin, Griffin looked down the
skylight and reported "a sail on the weather bow." The captain
immediately rose and went on deck. The moment he appeared he was seized
by Griffin. Captain Blathers was an active and powerful man, and very
passionate. He clenched his fist and struck the second mate a blow on
the chest, which caused him to stagger back, but, before he could repeat
it, two sailors seized him from behind and held him fast. The noise of
the scuffle at once brought up the first mate, who was followed by Will
Osten, Captain Dall, and others, all of whom were seized by the crew and
secured as they successively made their appearance.
Resistance was of course offered by each, but in vain, for the thing was
promptly and thoroughly carried out. Four strong men stood at the head
of the companion with ropes ready to secure their prisoners, while the
greater part of the crew stood close by, armed with pistols and
cutlasses.
"It is of no use resisting, Captain Blathers," said Griffin, when the
former was pinioned; "you see we are quite prepared, and thoroughly in
earnest."
The captain looked round, and a glance sufficed to convince him that
this was true. Not a friendly eye met his, because those of the crew
who were suspected of being favourable to him, or who could not be
safely relied on, had been seized by another party of mutineers at the
same time that those in the cabin were captured, and among them were
three friends of our hero--Mr Cupples the mate, Muggins, and Larry
O'Hale, seamen belonging to the lost _Foam_ to which Captain Dall had
referred while conversing with Will.
For a few seconds Captain Blathers' face blazed with wrath, and he
seemed about to make a desperate attempt to break his bonds, but by a
strong effort he restrained himself.
"What do you intend to do?" he asked at length, in a deep, husky voice.
"To take possession of this ship," replied the second mate, with a
slightly sarcastic smile. "These men have taken a fancy to lead a free,
roving life, and to make me their captain, and I am inclined to fall in
with their fancy, and to relieve you of the command."
"Scoundrel!" exclaimed the captain, "say rather that you have misled the
men, and that--"
He checked himself, and then said sternly, "And pray what do you intend
to do with _me_?"
"I shall allow you a boat and provisions, Captain Blathers, for the use
of yourself and your friends, and then bid you farewell. You see we are
mercifully inclined, and have no desire to shed your blood. Ho! there--
lower one of the quarter boats."
This order was obeyed with promptitude. Some provisions were thrown
into the boat, and the captain was cast loose and ordered to get into
it. He turned to make a last appeal to the crew, but Griffin presented
a pistol at his head and ordered him peremptorily to get into the boat.
It is probable that he would have made another effort, had not two of
the men forced him over the side. Seeing this, Will Osten was so
indignant and so anxious to quit the ship, that he stepped forward with
alacrity to follow him.
"No, no, my fine young fellow," said Griffin, thrusting him back, "we
want your help as a doctor a little longer. It may be that you are not
inclined to serve us, but we can find a way of compelling you if you're
not. Come, Mr Dall, be good enough to go next."
When Captain Dall's hands were loosed, he shook his fist in the second
mate's face, and said, "Rascal, you'll swing for this yet; mark my
words, you'll swing for it." Having relieved his feelings thus, he went
over the side.
While this was going on, Larry O'Hale, Muggins, and Mr Cupples, with
several others, were brought to the gangway. Griffin addressed these
before ordering them into the boat.
"My lads," he said, "I have no objection to your remaining aboard, if
you choose to take part with us."
"I, for one, will have nothing to do with 'e," said Mr Cupples sternly.
"Then you may go," said Griffin, with a sneer. Muggins, who, to use one
of his own phrases, looked "as sulky as a bear with a broken head," made
no reply, but Larry O'Hale exclaimed, "Sure, then, what better can I do
than take part with yees? It's a heavenly raigin o' the arth this, an
good company. Put me down on the books, Capting Griffin, dear. I'd
niver desart ye in your troubles,--be no mains."
There was a slight laugh at this, and Larry was graciously cast loose,
and permitted to remain. Both Will Osten and Muggins gazed at him,
however, in amazement, for they had supposed that their comrade would
rather have taken his chance in the captain's boat. Suddenly an
intelligent gleam shot athwart the rough visage of Muggins, and he
said--
"Of coorse I'll remain too. It would be madness for an old salt like me
to go paddlin' about the ocean in a cockleshell of a boat when he has
the chance of sailin' in a good ship. Put me down too, capting. I'm
game for anything a'most, from pitch an' toss to manslaughter."
So Muggins was added to the ship's company, and poor Mr Cupples went
over the side with a face almost as long as his thin body, because of
what he deemed the depravity and desertion of his old shipmates.
Several of the ship's crew, who refused to join, also went into the
boat, which was then cast loose, and dropped rapidly astern.
The whole of this exciting scene passed so quickly, that it was only
when the boat was far away, like a speck on the sea, that Will Osten
realised the fact that he had actually said farewell, perhaps for over,
to his late comrades. But he had not much time given him for
reflection, for the new captain, after changing the course of the ship,
and making a few arrangements to suit the altered state of affairs,
ordered him to go forward and do duty as a common seaman, telling him
that he did not intend to have any land-lubbers or idlers aboard, and
that he would be called to do doctor's work when his services should be
required.
That night our hero contrived to hold a whispering interview, in a dark
corner of the forecastle, with his friends Larry O'Hale and Muggins. He
found that the former had resolved to join the crew in order to be near
himself; that Muggins had joined, because of his desire to share the
fortunes of Larry; and that both had made up their minds to effect their
escape on the first favourable opportunity.
"Now, ye see, boys," said Larry, "this is how it is--"
"Don't open your bread-basket hatch so wide," growled Muggins, "else
you'll be overheerd--that's wot it is."
"This is how it is," repeated Larry, "not bein' fish, nor gulls, nor say
sarpints, we haven't the ghost of a chance of gettin' away from this
ship till we're close to land, an' even then we wont have much chance if
it's suspected that we want to escape. What then?--why, let us from
this hour agree to give each other the cowld shoulder, and go at our
work as if we liked it."
"You're right, Larry," said Will. "If they see us much together,
they'll naturally suspect that we are plotting, so--"