CHAPTER XIV.
_Court_--"Brother John Bates, is not that the morning which breaks yonder?" _Bates_.--"I think it be; but we have no great cause to desire the approach of day." _Will_.--"We see yonder the beginning of the day; but I think we shall never see the end of it----" _Henry V._
The ship did not lose her steerage-way. As soon as past the point of theisland, a gentle southerly breeze was felt; and, acting on the spars andhull, it enabled me, by putting the helm a little up, to keep her headoff shore, and thus increase her distance from the bay. The set of thetide did more for her than the wind, it is true; but the two, acting inunison, carried her away from the coast at a rate that nearly equalledtwo knots in the hour. This was slow moving, certainly, for a vessel insuch a strait; but it would require fifteen or twenty minutes for thecanoes to return from the creek, and make the circuit of the island bythe other channel. By that time we should be near half a mile at sea.
Smudge, beyond a question, understood that he was in a dilemma, thoughtotally ignorant of some of the leading difficulties of his case. It wasplain to me he could not comprehend why the ship took the direction ofthe offing, for he had no conception of the power of the rudder. Ourtiller worked below, and it is possible this circumstance mystified him,more small vessels in that day managing their helms without the aid ofthe wheel, than with it. At length the movement of the vessel became toopalpable to admit of further delay; and this savage approached me, witha drawn knife, and a manner that proved natural affection had not beenthe motive of his previous moderation. After flourishing his weaponfiercely before my eyes, and pressing it most significantly, once ortwice, against my breast, he made signs for me to cause the ship toturn round and re-enter the port. I thought my last moment had come, butnaturally enough pointed to the spars, giving my master to understandthat the vessel was not in her usual trim. I believe I was understoodas to this part of my excuses, it being too apparent that our masts andyards were not in their usual places, for the fact to be overlooked evenby a savage. Smudge, however, saw that several of the sails were bent,and he pointed to those, growling out his threats, should I refuse toset them. The spanker, in particular, being near him, he took hold ofit, shook it, and ordered me to loosen it forthwith.
It is scarcely necessary to say, I obeyed this order with secret joy.Casting loose the brails, I put the out-hauler in the hands of a dozenof the savages, and set the example of pulling. In a minute we hadthis sail spread, with the sheet a little eased off. I then led a partyforward, and got the fore and main stay-sails on the ship. To thesewere added the mizen stay-sail, the only other piece of canvass we couldshow, until the top-masts were fidded. The effect of these four sails,however, was to add at least another knot to the way of the ship, andto carry her out sooner to a point where she felt the full force of thelight breeze that was blowing from the south-east. By the time the foursails were set, we were fully a quarter of a mile from the island, everyinstant getting more fairly into the true currents of the air.
Smudge watched me with the eyes of a hawk. As I had obeyed his ownorders in making sail, he could not complain of that; but the resultevidently disappointed him. He saw we were still moving in the wrongdirection, and, as yet, not a canoe was visible. As for these last, nowthe vessel had way on her, I was not without hopes of being able tokeep them exposed to the fire from the cabin-windows, and, finally, ofgetting rid of them by drawing off the land to a distance they wouldnot be likely to follow. The Dipper, however, I was aware, was a boldfellow--knew something of vessels--and I was determined to give a hintto Marble to pick _him_ off, should he come within range of his muskets.
In the meantime the alarm and impatience of Smudge and his companions,very sensibly increased. Five minutes were an age in the circumstancesin which they were placed, and I saw that it would soon be necessaryto adopt some new expedient, or I might expect to be sacrificed to theresentment of these savages. Necessity sharpens the wits, and I hit upona scheme which was not entirely without the merit of ingenuity. As itwas, I suppose I owed my life to the consciousness of the savages, thatthey could do nothing without me.
Smudge, with three or four of the fiercest of his companions, had begunagain to menace me with the knife, making signs, at the same time, forme to turn the ship's head towards the land. I asked for a little room,and then describing a long circle on the deck, pointing to the foursails we had set, and this in a way to tell them that under the canvasswe carried, it would be necessary to go a great distance in order toturn round. When I had succeeded in communicating this idea, I forthwithset about giving them to understand that by getting up the top-masts,and making more sail, we might return immediately. The savagesunderstood me, and the explanation appearing reasonable to them, theywent aside and consulted together. As time pressed, it was not longbefore Smudge came to me with signs to show him and his party how to getthe remainder of the sails set. Of course, I was not backward in givingthe desired information.
In a few minutes, I had a string of the savages hold of the mast-rope,forward, a luff-tackle being applied. As everything was ready aloft, allwe had to do was to pull, until, judging by the eye, I thought thespar was high enough, when I ran up the rigging and clapped in the fid.Having the top-mast out of the way, without touching any of its rigging,I went down on the fore-yard, and loosened the sail. This appearedso much like business, that the savages gave sundry exclamations ofdelight; and, by the time I got on deck, they were all ready to applaudme as a good fellow. Even Smudge was completely mystified; and when Iset the others at work at the jeer-fall to sway up the fore-yard, he wasas active as any of them. We soon had the yard in its place, and I wentaloft to secure it, touching the braces first so as to fill the sail.
The reader may rest assured I did not hurry myself, now I had things inso fair a way. I could perceive that my power and importance increasedwith every foot we went from the land; and the ship steering herselfunder such canvass, the wheel being a trifle up, there was no occasionfor extraordinary exertion on my part. I determined now to stay aloft aslong as possible. The yard was soon secured, and then I went up into thetop, where I began to set up the weather-rigging. Of course, nothing wasvery thoroughly done, though sufficiently so for the weather we had.
From the top I had a good view of the offing, and of the coast forleagues. We were now quite a mile at sea, and, though the tide was nolonger of any use to us, we were drawing through the water quite at therate of two knots. I thought that the flood had made, and that it tookus a little on our lee-bow, hawsing us up to windward. Just as I had gotthe last lanyard fastened, the canoes began to appear, coming roundthe island by the farther passage, and promising to overtake us in thecourse of the next twenty minutes. The crisis demanded decision, and Idetermined to get the jib on the ship. Accordingly, I was soon on deck.
Having so much the confidence of the savages, who now fancied theirreturn depended on me, I soon had them at work, and we had the stay setup in two or three minutes. I then ran out and cast off the gaskets,when my boys began to hoist at a signal from me. I have seldom been sohappy as when I saw that large sheet of canvass open to the air. Thesheet was hauled in and belayed as fast as possible, and then itstruck me I should not have time to do any more before the canoes wouldovertake us. It was my wish to communicate with Marble. While passingaft, to effect this object, I paused a moment to examine the movement ofthe canoes; old Smudge, the whole time, expressing his impatience thatthe ship did not turn round. I make no doubt I should have been murdereda dozen times, had I lives enough, were it not that the savages felt howdependent they were on me, for the government of the vessel. I beganto see my importance, and grew bold in proportion. As for the canoes,I took a look at them through a glass, They were about half-a-miledistant; had ceased paddling, and were lying close together, seeminglyin consultation. I fancied the appearance of the ship, under canvass,had alarmed them, and that they began to think we had regained thevessel, and were getting her in sailing condition again, and that itmight not be p
rudent to come too near. Could I confirm this impression,a great point would be gained. Under the pretence of making more sail,in order to get the ship's head round, a difficulty I had to explain toSmudge by means of signs some six or eight times, I placed the savagesat the _main_-top-mast mast-rope, and told them to drag. This was atask likely to keep them occupied, and what was more, it kept them alllooking forward, leaving me affecting to be busied aft. I had givenSmudge a segar too, to put him in good humour, and I had also taken theliberty to light one for myself.
Our guns had all been primed, levelled, and had their tompions taken outthe night before, in readiness to repel any assault that might be made.I had only to remove the apron from the after-gun, and it was ready tobe discharged. Going to the wheel, I put the helm hard up, until ourbroadside bore on the canoes. Then glancing along my gun, until I sawit had a tolerable range, I clapped the segar to the priming, springingback to the wheel, and putting the helm down. The explosion produced ageneral yell among the savages, several of whom actually leaped into thechains ready to go overboard, while Smudge rushed towards me, fiercelybrandishing his knife. I thought my time had come! but, perceivingthat the ship was luffing fast, I motioned eagerly forward, to draw theattention of my assailant in that quarter. The vessel was coming-to, andSmudge was easily induced to believe it was the commencement of turninground. The breathing time allowed me to mystify him with a few moresigns; after which, he rejoined his people, showed them exultingly theship still luffing, and I make no doubt, he thought himself, and inducedthe rest to think, that the gun had a material agency in producing allthese apparent changes. As for the canoes, the grape had whistledso near them, that they began to paddle back, doubtless under theimpression, that we were again masters of the ship, and had sent themthis hint to keep aloof.
Thus far I had succeeded beyond my most sanguine expectations; andI began to entertain lively hopes of not only saving my life, but ofrecovering the command of the vessel. Could I manage to get her outof sight of land, my services would be so indispensable, as almost toinsure success. The coast was very low, and a run of six or eight hourswould do this, provided the vessel's head could be kept in the rightdirection. The wind, moreover, was freshening, and I judged that theCrisis had already four knots way on her. Less than twenty miles wouldput all the visible coast under water. But, it was time to say somethingto Marble. With a view to lull distrust, I called Smudge to thecompanion-way, in order that he might hear what passed, though I feltsatisfied, now that the Dipper was out of the ship, not a soul remainedamong the savages, who could understand a syllable of English, or knewanything of vessels. The first call brought the mate to the door. "Well,Miles; what is it?"--he asked--"what meant the gun, and who fired it?"
"All right, Mr. Marble. I fired the gun to keep off the canoes, and ithas had the effect I wished."
"Yes; my head was out of the cabin-window at the time, for I believedthe ship was waring, and thought you had given up, and were going backinto port. I saw the roundshot strike within twenty fathoms of thecanoes, and as for the grape, some of it flew beyond them. Why, we aremore than half a league from the land, boy!--Will Smudge stand that muchlonger?"
I then told Marble precisely how we were situated on deck, the sail wewere under, the number of savages we had on board, and the notion thesavages entertained on the subject of turning the ship round. It is noteasy to say which listened with the most attention, Marble, or Smudge.The latter made frequent gestures for me to turn the ship towards thecoast, for by this time she had the wind abeam again, and was once morerunning in a straight line. It was necessary, on more accounts than one,to adopt some immediate remedy for the danger that began to press on meanew. Not only must Smudge and his associates be pacified, but, as theship got into the offing, she began to feel the ground-swell, and herspars, aloft, were anything but secure. The main-top-mast was abouthalf-up, and it was beginning to surge and move in the cap, in a way Idid not like. It is true, there was not much danger yet; but the windwas rising, and what was to be done, ought to be done at once. I wasnot sorry, however, to perceive that five or six of the savages, Smudgeamong the number, began to betray signs of sea-sickness. I would havegiven Clawbonny, at the moment, to have had all the rascals in roughwater!
I now endeavoured to make Smudge understand the necessity of my havingassistance from below, both to assist in turning the vessel, and ingetting the yards and masts into their places. The old fellow shook hishead, and looked grave at this. I saw he was not sick enough yet, tobe indifferent about his life. After a time, however, he pronounced thenames of Neb and Yo, the blacks having attracted the attention of thesavages, the last being the cook. I understood him, he would sufferthese two to come to my assistance, provided it could be done withoutendangering his own ascendency. Three unarmed men could hardly bedangerous to twenty-five who were armed; and then I suspected that hefancied the negroes would prove allies to himself, in the event of astruggle, rather than foes. As for Neb, he made a fatal mistake; nor washe much nearer the truth in regard to Joe-or Yo, as he called him--thecook feeling quite as much for the honour of the American flag, as thefairest-skinned seaman in the country. It is generally found, that theloyalty of the negroes is of proof.
I found means to make Smudge understand the manner in which these twoblacks could be got on deck, without letting up the rest. As soon as hefairly comprehended the means to be used, he cheerfully acquiesced, andI made the necessary communication to Marble. A rope was sent down,over the stern-boat, to the cabin-windows, and Neb took a turn round hisbody; when he was hauled up to the gunwale of the boat, into which hewas dragged by the assistance of the savages. The same process was usedwith Joe. Before the negroes were permitted to go aloft, however, Smudgemade them a brief oration, in which oracular sentences were blended withsignificant gestures, and indications of what they were to expect,in the event of bad behaviour. After this, I sent the blacks into themain-top, and glad enough I thought they were both to get there.
Thus reinforced, we had the main-top-mast fidded in a very few minutes.Neb was then directed to set up the rigging, and to clear away the yard,so it might be got into its place. In a word, an hour passed in activeexertions, at the end of which, we had everything rove, bent, and inits place, on the main-mast, from the top-mast-head to the deck. Thetop-gallant-mast was lying fore and aft in the waist, and could notthen be touched; nor was it necessary. I ordered the men to loosen bothsails, and to overhaul down their rigging. In the eyes of Smudge, thislooked highly promising; and the savages gave a yell of delight whenthey saw the top-sail fairly filled and drawing. I added the main-sailto the pressure, and then the ship began to walk off the coast, at arate that promised all I hoped for. It was now necessary for me to stickby the wheel, of the uses of which Smudge began to obtain some notions.At this time, the vessel was more than two leagues from the island, andobjects began to look dim along the coast. As for the canoes, theycould no longer be seen, and chasing us any farther was quite out of thequestion. I felt that the crisis was approaching.
Smudge and his companions now became more and more earnest on thesubject of turning the ship round. The indistinctness of the land beganseriously to alarm them, and sea-sickness had actually placed four oftheir number flat on the deck. I could see that the old fellow himselfwas a good deal affected, though his spirit, and the risks he ran, kepthim in motion, and vigilantly on the watch. It was necessary to seem todo something; and I sent the negroes up into the fore-top, to get thetop sail-yard in its place, and the sail set. This occupied anotherhour, before we were entirely through, when the land was getting nearly_awash_. As soon as the mizen-top-sail was set, I braced sharp up, andbrought the ship close upon the wind. This caused the Indians to wiltdown like flowers under a burning sun, just as I expected; there being,by this time, a seven-knot breeze, and a smart head-sea on. Old Smudgefelt that his forces were fast deserting him, and he now came to me,in a manner that would not be denied, and I felt the necessity of doingsomething to appease him. I got the savag
es stationed as well as Icould, hauled up the main-sail, and put the ship in stays. We tackedbetter than I could have believed possible, and when my wild captors sawthat we were actually moving in the direction of the land, again, theirdelight was infinite. Their leader was ready to hug me; but I avoidedthis pleasure in the best manner I could. As for the consequences, Ihad no apprehensions, knowing we were too far off to have any reason todread the canoes, and being certain it was easy enough to avoid them insuch a breeze.
Smudge and his companions were less on the alert, as soon as theyperceived the ship was going in the proper direction. They probablybelieved the danger in a measure over, and they began to yield a littleto their physical sufferings. I called Neb to the wheel, and leaningover the taffrail, I succeeded in getting Marble to a cabin-window,without alarming Smudge. I then told the mate to get all his forces inthe forecastle, having observed that the Indians avoided that part ofthe vessel, on account of the heavy plunges she occasionally made, andpossibly because they fancied our people were all aft. As soon as theplan was understood, I strolled forward, looking up at the sails, andtouching a rope, here and there, like one bent on his ordinary duty.The savage stationed at the fore-scuttle was as sick as a dog, and withstreaming eyes, he was paying the landsmen's tribute to the sea. Thehatch was very strong, and it was secured simply by its hasp and a bitof iron thrust through it. I had only to slip my hand down, remove theiron, throw open the hatch, when the ship's company streamed up on deck,Marble leading.
It was not a moment for explanations. I saw, at a glance, that the mateand his followers regarded the situation of the ship very differentlyfrom what I did myself. I had now been hours with the savages, hadattained a little of their confidence, and knew how dependent theywere on myself for their final safety; all of which, in a small degree,disposed me to treat them with some of the lenity I fancied I hadreceived from them, in my own person. But, Marble and the crew had beenchafing below, like caged lions, the whole time, and, as I afterwardslearned, had actually taken an unanimous vote to blow themselves up,before they would permit the Indians to retain the control of thevessel. Then poor Captain Williams was much beloved forward, and hisdeath remained to be avenged. I would have said a word in favour of mycaptors, but the first glance I got at the flushed face of the mate,told me it would be useless. I turned, therefore, to the sick savagewho had been left as a sentinel over the fore-scuttle, to prevent hisinterference. This man was armed with the pistols that had been takenfrom me, and he showed a disposition to use them. I was too quick in mymotions, however, falling upon him so soon as to prevent one who was notexpert with the weapons from using them. We clenched, and fell on thedeck together, the Indian letting the pistols fall to meet my grasp.
As this occurred, I heard the cheers of the seamen; and Marble, shoutingout to "revenge Captain Williams," gave the order to charge. I soon hadmy own fellow perfectly at my mercy, and got him so near the end of thejib downhaul, as to secure him with a turn or two of that rope. Theman made little resistance, after the first onset; and, catching upthe pistols, I left him, to join in what was doing aft. As I lay on thedeck, I heard several plunges into the water, and then half-a-dozen ofmost cruelly crushing blows succeeded. Not a shot was fired by eitherparty, though some of our people, who had carried all their arms belowthe night the ship was seized, used their pikes with savage freedom.By the time I got as far aft as the main-mast, the vessel was ourown. Nearly half the Indians had thrown themselves into the sea; theremaining dozen had either been knocked in the head like beeves, or werestuck, like so many porkers. The dead bodies followed the living intothe sea. Old Smudge alone remained, at the moment of which I havespoken.
The leader of the savages was examining the movements of Neb, at themoment the shout was raised; and the black, abandoning the wheel, threwhis arms round those of the old man, holding him like a vice. In thissituation he was found by Marble and myself, who approached at the sameinstant, one on each side of the quarter-deck.
"Overboard with the blackguard!" called out the excited mate; "overboardwith him, Neb, like a trooper's horse!"
"Hold--" I interrupted, "spare the old wretch, Mr. Marble;--he sparedme."
A request from me would, at any moment, outweigh an order from thecaptain, himself, so far as the black was concerned, else Smudge wouldcertainly have gone into the ocean, like a bundle of straw. Marblehad in him a good deal of the indifference to bodily suffering that isgenerated by habit, and, aroused, he was a dangerous, and sometimes ahard man; but, in the main, he was not cruel; and then he was alwaysmanly. In the short struggle which he had passed, he had actuallydropped his pike, to knock an Indian down with his fist; bundling thefellow through a port without ceremony, ere he had time to help himself.But he disdained striking Smudge, with such odds against him; and hewent to the helm, himself, bidding Neb secure the prisoner. Glad of thislittle relief to a scene so horrible, I ran forward, intending to bringmy own prisoner aft, and to have the two confined together, below. ButI was too late. One of the Philadelphians had just got the poor wretch'shead and shoulders through the bow-port, and I was barely in time to seehis feet disappear.
Not a cheer was given for our success. When all was over, the men stoodgazing at each other, stern, frowning, and yet with the aspects of thosewho felt they had been, in a manner, disgraced by the circumstanceswhich led them to the necessity of thus regaining the command of theirown vessel. As for myself, I ran and sprang upon the taffrail, to lookinto the ship's wake. A painful sight met me, there! During the minuteor two passed in the brief struggle, the Crisis had gone steadily ahead,like the earth moving in its orbit, indifferent to the struggles of thenations that are contending on its bosom. I could see heads and armstossing in our track for a hundred fathoms, those who could not swimstruggling to the last to preserve their existence. Marble, Smudge andNeb, were all looking in the same direction, at that instant. Under animpulse I could not control, I ventured to suggest that we might yettack and save several of the wretches.
"Let them drown, and be d----d!" was the chief-mate's sententiousanswer.
"No--no--Masser Mile," Neb ventured to add, with a remonstrating shakeof the head--"dat will nebber do--no good ebber come of Injin. If youdon't drown him, he sartain drown you."
I saw it was idle to remonstrate; and by this time one dark spot, afteranother, began to disappear, as the victims sank in the ocean. As forSmudge, his eye was riveted on the struggling forms of his followers, ina manner to show that traces of human feeling are to be found, in someaspect or other, in every condition of life. I thought I could detectworkings of the countenance of this being, indurated as his heart hadbecome by a long life of savage ferocity, which denoted how keenly hefelt the sudden destruction that had alighted on his tribe. He mighthave had sons and grandsons among those struggling wretches, on whomhe was now gazing for the last time. If so, his self-command was almostmiraculous; for, while I could see that he felt, and felt intensely, nota sign of weakness escaped him. As the last head sunk from view, I couldsee him shudder; a suppressed groan escaped him; then he turned his facetowards the bulwarks, and stood immovable as one of the pines of his ownforests, for a long time. I asked Marble's permission to release the oldman's arms, and the mate granted it, though not without growling a fewcurses on him, and on all who had been concerned in the late occurrenceson board the ship.
There was too much duty to be done, to render all secure, to sufferus to waste much time in mere sympathy. All the top-mast rigging,backstays, &c., had to be set up afresh, and gangs were sent aboutthis duty, forward and aft. The blood was washed from the decks, and aportion of the crew got along the top-gallant-masts, and pointed them.The topsails were all close-reefed, the courses hauled up, the spankerand jib taken in, and the ship hove-to. It wanted but two hours ofsunset when Mr. Marble had got things to his mind. We had crossedroyal-yards, and had everything set that would draw, from the trucksdown. The launch was in the water towing astern; the ship was then abouta mile from the southern passage into t
he bay, towards which she wassteering with the wind very much as it had been since an hour aftersunrise, though slightly falling. Our guns were loose, and the crew wasat quarters. Even I did not know what the new captain intended to do,for he had given his orders in the manner of one whose mind was tooimmovably made up, to admit of consultation. The larboard battery wasmanned, and orders had been given to see the guns on that side levelledand ready for firing. As the ship brushed past the island, in enteringthe bay, the whole of this broadside was delivered in among its bushesand trees. We heard a few yells, in reply, that satisfied us the grapehad told, and that Marble had not miscalculated the position of some ofhis enemies, at least.
When the ship entered the little bay, it was with a moderate and steadymovement, the breeze being greatly broken by the forests. The main-yardwas thrown aback, and I was ordered into the launch, with its crewarmed. A swivel was in the bows of the boat, and I pulled into thecreek, in order to ascertain if there were any signs of the savages. Inentering the creek, the swivel was discharged, according to orders, andwe soon detected proofs that we disturbed a bivouac. I now kept loadingand firing this little piece into the bushes, supporting it withoccasional volleys of musketry, until pretty well satisfied that we hadswept the shore effectually. At the bivouac, I found the canoes, and ourown yawl, and what was some little revenge for what had happened, I alsofound a pile of no less than six hundred skins, which had doubtless beenbrought to trade with us, if necessary, in order to blind-our eyes untilthe favourable moment for the execution of the conspiracy should offer.I made no scruple about confiscating these skins, which were taken onboard the ship.
I next went to the island, on which I found one man dying with agrape-shot wound, and evidence that a considerable party had left it,as soon as they felt our fire. This party had probably gone outside theisland, but it was getting too late to follow. On my return, I met theship coming out, Captain Marble being determined not to trust herinside another night. The wind was getting light, and, the tides runningfiercely in that high latitude, we were glad to make an offing againwhile there was still day. The success with the skins greatly mollifiedthe new captain, who declared to me that, after he had hanged Smudge insight of his own shores, he should "feel something like himself again."
We passed the night under our top-sails, standing off and on, with thewind steady, but light, at the southward. Next morning, the duty ofthe ship went on as usual, until the men had breakfasted, when we stoodagain into the bay. This time, we hove-to so as to get one of the buoys,when we dropped the stream, leaving the top-sails set. We then hove upthe anchor, securing the range of cable that was bent to it. Both of theanchors, and their ranges of cable, were thus recovered; the ends of thelast being entered at the hawse-holes, and the pieces spliced. This workmay have occupied us four hours; after which, the stream-anchor washove up, catted and fished. Marble then ordered a whip rove at thefore-yard-arm.
I was on the quarter-deck when this command was suddenly given. I wishedto remonstrate, for I had some tolerably accurate notions of legality,and the rights of persons. Still, I did not like to say anything; forCaptain Marble's eye and manner were not the least in the trifling mood,at that instant. The whip was soon rove, and the men stood looking aft,in silent expectation.
"Take that murdering blackguard forward, fasten his arms behind hisback, place him on the third gun, and wait for orders," added our newcaptain, sternly.
No one dared hesitate about obeying these orders, though I could seethat one or two of the lads disliked the business.
"Surely," I ventured to say, in a low voice, "you are not in earnest,Mr. Marble!"
"_Captain_ Marble, if you please, Mr. Wallingford. I am now master ofthis vessel, and you are her chief-mate. I intend to hang your friendSmudge, as an example to the rest of the coast. These woods are full ofeyes at this moment; and the sight they'll presently see, will do moregood than forty missionaries, and threescore and ten years of preaching.Set the fellow up on the gun, men, as I ordered. This is the way togeneralize with an Indian."
In a moment, there stood the hapless wretch, looking about him with anexpression that denoted the consciousness of danger, though it was notpossible he could comprehend the precise mode of his execution. I wentto him, and pressed his hand, pointing upward, as much as to say hiswhole trust was now in the Great Spirit. The Indian understood me, forfrom that instant he assumed an air of dignified composure, like oneevery way prepared to meet his fate. It is not probable, with hishabits, that he saw any peculiar hardship in his own case; for hehad, doubtless, sacrificed many a prisoner under circumstances of lessexasperation than that which his own conduct had provoked.
"Let two of the 'niggers' take a turn with the end of the whip round thechap's neck," said Marble, too dignified to turn Jack Ketch in person,and unwilling to set any of the white seamen at so ungracious an office.The cook, Joe, and another black, soon performed this revolting duty,from the odium of which a sailor seldom altogether escapes.
I now perceived Smudge looking upward, seeming to comprehend the natureof the fate that awaited him. The deeply-seated principle within him,caused a dark shadow to pass over a countenance already so gloomy andwrinkled by suffering and exposure; and he turned his look wistfullytowards Marble, at whose command each order in succession had beenobeyed. Our new captain caught that gaze, and I was, for a singlemoment, in hope he would relent, and let the wretch go. But Marble hadpersuaded himself he was performing a great act of nautical justice; norwas he aware, himself, how much he was influenced by a feeling allied tovengeance.
"Sway away!" he called out; and Smudge was dangling at the yard-arm in afew seconds.
A block of wood could not have been more motionless than the body ofthis savage, after one quivering shudder of suffering had escaped it.There it hung, like a jewel-block, and every sign of life was soon takenaway. In a quarter of an hour, a man was sent up, and, cutting the rope,the body fell, with a sharp plunge, into the water, and disappeared.
At a later day, the account of this affair found its way into thenewspapers at home. A few moralists endeavoured to throw some doubtsover the legality and necessity of the proceedings, pretending that moreevil than good was done to the cause of sacred justice by such disregardof law and principles; but the feeling of trade, and the security ofships when far from home, were motives too powerful to be put down bythe still, quiet remonstrances of reason and right. The abuses to whichsuch practices would be likely to lead, in cases in which one of theparties constituted himself the law, the judge, and the executioner,were urged in vain against the active and ever-stimulating incentive ofa love of gold. Still, I knew that Marble wished the thing undone whenit was too late, it being idle to think of quieting the suggestionsof that monitor God has implanted within us, by the meretricious andselfish approbation of those who judge of right and wrong by their ownnarrow standard of interest.