THE MYSTERY OF A MUTINY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2713, 30 November 1889, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE MYSTERY OF A MUTINY.

[by kukus uale ]

We were about fifty miles to the south and west of the Harvey Islands, Pacific Ocean, eaid Lieutenant Grcsham, of the war-sloop Enterprise, when we picked up a sealed bottle, in which was a roll of white paper. On the latter scrawled with a pencil, by a captain siguin? himsulf " Henry Colton, roaster and owner of the ship Ariel, containing merchandise and a large amount of gold du.-t from Sydney, Australia," we found the statement of a mutiny among , his men, headed by his second mate, John Hard, on the oveniug of the duy before. Tho men had first killed the third smJ chief officers, tlirowinsr their bodies overboard ; then one had dealt the ship's carpenter a fearful gaah with an axe, when ho got over the rail and slid down to the mizzen starboard chain-platos, on the outside of the vessel, where he huiur, begging for his life. But the second mute hud climed over iuto the chains with a hatchet, and compelled him to let go hig hold by chopping oft' bis fingers, where upon the man dropped into the son iind sank.

Next Captaiu Colton and his young wife—the only woman ahoarrl the ship— were also about to be butchered, together with their child, eighteen mouths old, when Hard proposed sparing their lives, if the captain would consout to navigate the ship to where the mutineers wanted to go. He said he would, out he overheard the scoundrel Hard whisper to one of the men Unit the three would only be spared for some 24hours, until they could make sure of safely reaching an uninhabited island which had beeu visible just before night had settled about the craft.

Early next morning, under pretence of wanting to examine his chart, the captain got permission to go below, when he wrote this statement and threw it, bottled and sealed, out of the cabin window, praying Heaven that it might be picked up by a vessel which had just hove in sight to windward, and which, if he was not mistaken, was a man-of-war.

When the bottle was picked Uμ and the contents read, something of a stir waa created aboard the man-of-war, especially as what we thought might lie the very craft from which the bottle had been thrown was now faintly visible—a dim speck far to leeward. Wβ crowded all sail to overtake her, and noticed that she i commenced to pile on everything she I could carry when <ve arrived within about two miles of her ; but, finally, a shot which we fired across her bow brought her up into the wind with her canvas rattling. Soon, however, the breese having died away, and both vessels being becalmed, a cutter with an armed crew, of which I had the charge, was sent off to the ship. That she was thu one mentioned in the writing we saw as we glided past her stern, on which was her n:unc, Ariel, in large, gilt letters. A dark young man, having a full faco. and very white, teeth, which lie showed with a pleasant smile, watched us over the rail. Ho politely lowered the man-ropes for us when we were alongside, and I stepped aboard, with Midshipman Dale, who had accompauied me, ordering some of the crew to follow. A sharp gUnee about me showed nothing to indicate a late mutiny. The decks were us clean aa wax, and the men were the common mixture of weather beaten fellows of different tuitionsilities. Perceiving I naid nothing, the dark man who had lowered the ropes to me remarked that he thought I had made some mistake about his ship, and I had fired ncross his bows, and would I bo kind enough to explain ? " First," I said, " tell me who you are." " Captain Henry Colton, sir, master and owner of this ship !" 1 looked at him keenly, and probnbly suspiciously, for he stared at me with eyes open, apparently with surprise. I was about asking him to show Lia papers, nntl to say that 1 would wUe a look through his cabin, when all my doubiii about him was set nt rest by the appearance of a cheerful and pleasant. wornnn with a child in her arms, and his tellinsr me that the lady was Mrs Colton, his wife. I gave my name, and was introduced to the woman. She wore a long, loose wrapper, was dark complexioned, with straight black hair, just reaching to her shoulders ; and, though pretty and apparently very happy, was, I thought, rather " dowdy-looking." I also noticed that she held her child ungracefully, standing bolt upright, instead of leaning backward, as a woman usually does when an infant is in her arms.

The child kept crying ; and when the captain was trying to soothe the little creature, three other men to louvvarrl looked on, smiling. Seeing me glance at them, Colton told me they were his first, second and third mates.

" My second mat« has a hard name," he jokingly remarked; "in fact, his name is Joir.v Hard, but lie would not harm a fly." This was the man who, according to the writing in the sealed bottle, had murdered the first and third mates, and thrown their bodies overboard.

What, theu, was the meaning of that writing ? If it was" nil a hoax on tho part of some sailor," I certainly never huard of one like it. The proof that no mutiny had happened, that everything was risjht aboard the ehip, now eeemed to me hh clear .in daylight, and I said to Mr Dale, who Htood carelessly leaning against the starboard bulwarks: "Come, wo may as well get back aboard the sloop," when, all at once, while the others were gazing another way, I saw such a look of horror in hid eyes as I shall never forget, I walked over to where he was, and following the direction of bis gaze, which was toward the mizzen chains (on the outside of the ship), I beheld lyiujr just behind one of the chain platen the finger of a man's hand, the nail on it caxfhiua , the tint of the rusty iron and a glint of the sunshine, gleaming like an angry eye. A bunch of oakum lviue , on one side of it hud probably been adhering tn the pinto, nnd thus hidden the ghastly objpct from the crew, but it was now revealed to me plainly enough. Quickly drawinsr the midshipman fiMde, 1 walked with him toward the gangway. r , " Well, fir, what do you think of it r

he asked, in a low vnio.o. " There is something wrong here, I answered, "and yet we liavo seen for ourselves that the cnplain, his wife, and his child and his officers are all alive, contented and safe. Take most, of the men, Mr Dale, and go hack to the sloop, where you will tell our captain exactly how things are, and aet his instructions as to what I am to do." The midshipman was soon on his way, and, with ten men, I was left aboard the ship. , , The latter'a captain now approached " You stay aboard, eir!" he said, iticiuiringly. "May I ank what; the troiihli; is?" "Oh, yes, do tell us,' bbio his wit", ooaxinsjly, also coming up, with the child still in her arms." " I cannot tell you yet," wns my ivply. At that moment theiufaut became more restive, kicking and screaming wildly.

/ want my mamma !" he suddenly yelled. I started with surprise. " He is ailing, and is a little out of his head—don't know what he says !" cried the woman ; though it struck me that both she and the captain looked confused and uneasy. "To think of his asking for his mother, when he is already with her.' . Just then the captain shouted out an order for shortening sail, and looking to windward I saw a squall coming down upon U3. The sloop's boatswain was piping, too, and soon her yards were alive with nimble fellows rolling; up the canvas. By the time Midshipman Dale had lvao'hed her the storm was close aboard. There could be no lying to under the furious gale that came a moment later, as this would have caused the vessel to drift down upon the island to leeward. Away went the Ariel, and soon the sloop and this craft were far apart, hidden from each other by the driving rack and mist of the storm. Looking over the weather rail, I now perceived that the man's finger, which Dale and I had seen behind the chain-plate, was no longer there—had probably been swept away by the seas. Leaning against thu rail, 1 fell to thinking about the strange mystery of the affair, while in the meantime, to puzzle me still more, there was that child now with Mrs Colton in the cabin, still uneasy,and stilloccassioually uttering its weird, shrieking demand to be taken to its mother.

Night now was eome, with the gale abating, and, having declined the captain's invitation to supper, for which I lad no appetite, I summoned my men and told them to take turns at watching for our sloop. The captain finally came up to take the deck, aud sent liis officers into the steerage to turn. in. '' Seating myself on the carpenter's chest, I resolved, with the exception of an occasional nap, to keep awake until the n«xt morning. Hours passed, and having vainly watched for the sloop's light, I finally fell asleep. I was awakened —I think it must have been four hours later, as the full moon's position was high in the oieared sky--by that little child below, screaming out louder than ever for his mother. I heard someone near mo say : " The troublesome young one will awake the lieutenant."

I recognised the voice of Mrs Colton, though it struck me that it was harsher than usual.

I lay still, keeping my eyes closed, and then came the voice of the captain:

" No, he is still asleep. Take a pull on thoso mizzen lop-gallant halliards, won't yon?" I opened my eyes a little, and, to my intense surprise, I saw Mrs Col lon move over to the halliards, dexterously looseu them from the pin, and i>ive them a most powerful,sailorly pull. When she was through, she descender! into the cabin, sayin" she would try to ,juiet •' that ni»ly child.' , I imagined 1 heard the sound of blows, aud the little one continued to scream louder now than before, when, all at once, I was started on hearing a smothered voice cry out: "Oh! dear! 1 must speak! I can keep it in no longer ! They are killing my child." This was followed by the voice of Mrs Oolton.

"Hush ! I will kill him if you speak again," she said. Then she came up from below.

"I hope the lieutenant did not hear," she whispered to the captain. "No, he is still asleep; bull shook when she and you spoke, fearing he might wuke aud hear you. He suspects nothing as yet, and 1 hope he may be back aboard his sloop soon, as she is in sight, ahead. Then, I trusr, we will no longer be m danger. What Orotignt him abroad here is a mystery to me, as be could have known nothing about—"

"S'sh!" interrupted the other, warnBoth now went into the cabiu, I nro'-e, and putting a hand on the hilt of my sword, slipped into the cmnpauionway. Peerir.g down into the lighted cabin, I saw the captain cautiously rni<e the runhatch j and shake his fist at some person or persons beneath him, whom he also addressed in a low, threatening _ voice, though I could not hear what he said.

Instantly I sprang into the room, and ero the trap could be closed, I saw a man and woman lying, bonnd hand and foot, in the run, under the open hatchway !

Tlin truth broke upon my mind in a moment—these were the real Captain Colton and his wife !

The others—the pretended Mr and Mrs Coltoh —now stopped the trap, and stood a moment staring at me, as if «tupified at my sudden appearance and discovery of the prisoners ! "Your villainy is known," I said, sternly to the man. "If I mistake not, you are John Hakd, the second mate, who heade:l the late Woody mutiny, and the three persons whom you told me were your officers are frauds, not officers at all, but merely assuming that position to deceive me. Who this woman may be, though, I cannot imagine." looking, as I spoke, toward his companion. The man turned ghastly ; his knees shook under him ; horror and surprise at my knowledge of the mutiny seemed to hold him dumbfounded. The other, however, the woman acted very differently. "All is discovered !" she cried, "but there is a chanco for us yet, Mr Hard, in the death of the lieutenant and his party ! His blood first, his men's afterwards, and wo may yet escape !" Hard, s if roused to action by the words, i.ulled a pistol from his jacket, but, as he fired, I dashed it downward with my sword, and the bullet passed through the cabin floor. At the same moment the woman, drawing a sharp sheath knife from her pocket, sprang forward to bury the blade in my threat. I stepped back and she fell flat upon the floor. Hard ran into another room, and quickly reappeared with au axe, while he roared out for his men. I also called mine, and at the same instant the mutineer hurled the axe at me, blade foremost. Instead of striking me, it ws buried in the side of the woman, who was springing to her feet as he threw it. She nttered a loud shriek of piin, and tearing the wrapper she wore from about her breast, and shoulders, pressed it to the ghastly wound, as if to stop the fI"W of blood. Then another mystery was explained. A, jacket, a blue shirt, a masculine thnmt mid a. square, bro.'d chest were revealed. The pretended woman was a vouuu man of 2:)— the steward, a hiilf-brcd Spaniard, as I afterwards learned. All try men and also Herd's, came swarming , into the ciihin. The mutineers outnumbered us a little, but my crow wore nil well armed, while the others, not knowing what was goinsr on, hud come without a single weapon except the Hboatb-knivesin their belts—puny instrumeutH aaaiust cutlasses and pistols. They therefore, knew bettor than to resist, and we noon had them all, together with Hard, their leader, shut up in the bold. As to the. steward who had personated Mrs Colton, his wound was a mortal one, and he ilipd in a f<-w hours— ju-t; n-i we arrived abre-ist of the sloop. Great was the joy of young Captain Colton and his wife ou being , liberated from t.ho run.

While the mother hnsrired hur child to her breast, her husband informed us that

ihe inutin eis hud «hut them up thfiro tho moment they saw the mnu-of»wai in nhase of thorn, and had threat"ued to kill their child if they mad* the least noise. Their de-itrn, in the deception they had practiced, was that th'-ir visitors might report everything as havinir bee.n " all litrlit, ,, in the ver<>-el when thev boarded her, so that her destruction—which the rascals intended to brintr about, after plundering her—might excite no suspicions, but seem merely the result of accident.

They certainly would have deceived us, and have suuceoded in their fiendish plan, hed not Dale and I seen behind the chainplate that human finger, which, like the " FiNGEIi of Fate " itself, seemed to point straight, at the direful truth, had induced tne to remain aboard the Ariel, and had thus lod to the solution of the mystery of the mutiny which had wo puzzler! me.