Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) : $b A series of naval tales and sketches to please all hands, from the swabs on the shoulders down to the swabs in the headBarker, M. H. (Matthew Henry)
General
Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) : $b A series of naval tales and sketches to please all hands, from the swabs on the shoulders down to the swabs in the head
Barker, M. H. (Matthew Henry)
Sea stories, English; Seafaring life -- Fiction
“I was standing ’tween the bits, (says Hughes,) when the
first-lieutenant came forward the second time, and his bare dirk was in
his hand. ‘Return to your duty, men, and don’t disgrace your country,’
said Mr. Spriggs; but they again shouted, and Bill Oates threw a billet
of wood at the officer, which knocked his legs from under him. At that
instant the captain’s coxswain rushed at the lieutenant, one of the
fokstle men seized the dirk, and together they held him down.
“‘Villains!’ said the lieutenant, ‘mutinous dogs! will you murder me?’
and he made a desperate struggle to rise, whilst his voice seemed to be
getting more husky and thick, as if they were strangling him. All at
once he gave a shriek, and I thought the running bowline had slipped;
then there was a low, moaning, gurgling sound, a convulsive throe of
the body,--and he lay quite still. The coxswain and his companion came
away just as the captain ran from aft with the lights. The marines
raised the poor lieutenant up by the arms, but, oh God! the lights
gleamed upon a stream of blood, and a deep gash in the throat opened
its yawning mouth,--the head of the lieutenant fell backward between
his shoulder blades, for it was nearly severed from the body. The
captain gazed at the corpse for a moment, then raising his pistols, he
snapped the triggers at Farmer, who laughed,--no, it warn’t a laugh, it
was a yell of defiance,--the charges had been drawn.
“The men led by Farmer on the starboard side, and the coxswain on the
larboard side, moved in two compact bodies aft, driving the captain,
the two lieutenants, the boatswain, and the midshipmen of the watch
afore ’em. By the main ladder the latter party faced about, and the
captain, seeing the coxswain acting as a ringleader, upbraided him for
his ingratitude, for he had always been a great favourite with Captain
P----, and had followed him from ship to ship, receiving many marks
of kindness for upwards of five years. The coxswain cheered on the
men, and darting at the captain, stabbed him severely with a bay’net:
this was the signal for massacre. The captain retreated to his cabin,
which was soon filled with the mutineers, and every one seemed anxious
to have a cut at him. He staggered to his chair and sat down, whilst
those who had been the victims of his cruelty and oppression, mangled
him in the fleshy parts of his body, and every wound was accompanied
by a bitter taunt, or a hellish imprecation. He implored for no mercy,
for he saw it would be useless;--he did not deprecate their vengeance,
for the hand he had prized most was the first to stab, and therefore
it was in vain to hope for life. He continued sternly silent, till he
fell from his chair through weakness, caused by the out-flowing of
the tide of existence. A horrible shout shook the cabin when they saw
him prostrate, and raising him in their arms, they sallied aft and
launched the body out of the stern windows. I heard it splash as it
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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