The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 385: what you’re looking at

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316 2 eee upon the ocean. But even before that appalling sound had ceased to vibrate on the ears of the mur- derers in the cabin, their terrible work was accom- plished—the deed was done—and the mate became the second victim of the tremendous tragedy of this night of horrors! From one of the stern-windows the gory corse was thrust into the ocean; and once more did the assas- sins exchange looks of ferocious satisfaction and dis- bolical triumph. But now came the most hazardous portion of their enterprise,—a crisis which must decide the attitude that the crew would take towards them! Still the miscreants quailed not in the presence of the danger which they were incurring: but enhancing their na- tural courage by means of the artificial stimulant supplied by the burning alcohol which they poured copiously down their throats, they prepared for the worst with an undaunted energy worthy of a better cause, ® Each arming himself with a drawn cutlass and & loaded pistol,—and having secreted the other swords in the bedding of one of their cots, so that those weapons should not at least become immediately available to the sailors,—the Magsman and the Big Beggarman ascended to the deck. Watkins, the second mate, who bad been left in charge of the ship, was standing close by the man at the wheel; and the other sailors were distributed about in different parts of the vessel according to the nature of the duties which they were at the moment called upon to perform, The instant Joo Warren and the Beggarman put their feet upon the deck, they hastily accosted the second mate and the steersman ; and presenting their pistols, exclaimed, “ Dare to move from your posts and we will blow your brains out! Silence—speak aot a word—and your lives shall be spared!” The suddenness of a proceeding so utterly unex- pected—the determined manner in which the two ruffians spoke—and the cold contact of the muzzles of the pistols against the foreheads of Watkins and the steersman, eo completely astounded these indi- viduals that the igjunction of silence was in reality perfectly unnecessary: terror and amazement had already sealed their lips ! “One word is as good as twenty,” said Joe Warren, now acting as spokesman. “The truth is, then, that we have made away with the captain and the first mate—and we mean to take possession of the ship or die in the attempt. If you fall into our views, well and good: we'll sell the cargo first —share the spoil—and then hoist the black flag and turn pirates. But if you resist, we'll continue the bloody work that’s already begun, by murdering you both. Now what say you?” “ ‘Who's to command the ship ?” inquired Watkins, who had by this time recovered his pre- sence of mind and who now spoke with promptitude and decision. “You shall be the captain,” answered the Mags- man,—*“on particular conditions ; and Bradley the steersman shall be first mate. Now, then—speak —what say you °” | “TI agree,” retarned Watkins, unhesitatingly. “And so do J,” said the helmsman, whose name was Bradley. _ “You both swear most solemnly that you fall voto our views?” demanded the Magsman. “We swaar,” was the resolute and firm response. CO... ames THE MYSTERIES, “ All right I? exclaimed the Magsman, withdraw- ing his pistol from its menacing vicinage to the | head of Watkins—while the Big Boggarman simul. |; taneously released Bradley from the like state of jeopardy. The scene which we have just related scarony occapied two minutes. The action was prompt— the discourse was rapid, brief, and to the point ;— and the understanding was therefore speedily come to and settled. None of the other sailors had overheard the conversation or noticed that any- thing unusaal was going forward: for, in the first place, they were too far off to be within ear-shot of the words spoken on the after-part of the deck, especially in the midst of a roaring sea and a gush- ing hurricane—and, secondly, the night was much too dark to permit them to catch even a glimpse of the naked cutlasses or the pistols which the two murderers wielded. There were thus six more men in the ship to win over by fair means or coerce by foul; and Joe Warren did not doubt a successful issue to the adventure in either case. “Now summon three of the men, captain,” he said to Watkins, “and tell them what has oc- curred.” This order was instantly obeyed ; and the three sailors whom W atkins called aft, heard with mingled feelings of terror and surprise that a mutiny had taken place on board—that their legitimate com- mander and first mate had been murdered—and that their adhesion was required to the new condi- tion of things, under peril of their own lives. Two of them, influenced by the promises made and the hopes held out, instantaneously signified their as- sent; while fear induced the third to adopt a similar course. They were then ordered to stand aside, while the remaining three sailors were sum- moned in their turn to receive the startling com- munication of all that had occurred on board within the previous quarter of an hour; and the result was completely satisfactory to the Magsman and the Big Beggarman. Copious allowances of spirits were now dealt round; and the tragic mutiny was succeeded by boisterous hilarity on board of the Royal George. Bat still the storm continued: the wind swept in tremendous gusts over the Atlantic, whose bosom was upheaved into waves that ran moun- tains high ;—and presently the lightning flashed forth in vivid brilliancy, and the thunder rolled with a crashing din as if a thousand chariots were | tearing along a brazen bridge. | SHAPTER CVIIL THE PORTRAIT. Wa now return to the Countess of Desborough —that charming, beautiful, and strong-minded woman, whose passions were however more potent than her reason, and whose temperament had plunged her, after many, many successful struggies against temptation, into the vortex of love's volup- tuous enjoyments. For the attachment which she cherished towards Ramsey amounted to a fervent enthusiasm that would have condacted her all-smiling to the stake, had it been necessary to die for him,—a love not only arising from a sense of his manly beauty acc ag a I Ts a et STs COMIC OOO SS comin