The Golden Harpoon — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

—* THE CITASE. 19 however, was still dashing along towards the ; besides which, I know you are nothing of a ship, with that peculiar rapidity which charac- | marksman, and couldn’t hit the broadside of a terises the whale-boat—a craft which being sharp at both ends, and gracefully and lightly modelled, is especially formed for speed. The boat was pulled with “ double-banked oars ”-— that is, Briggs and his party, who were in the boat, saiatel frigate, though it were but a few fathoms off! Puil ahead, lads!” “We'll see about that!’ replied Lark, and, taking deliberate aim, he fired. The second mate did not utter a word of the crew of the second mate, and | complaint; but the hand that held the -steer- it soon was not further than seven fathoms | ing-oar dropped bleeding and powerless by his from the “ Montpelier,” abreast the mizzen rig- | side. ging; and the grim-visaged Briggs, with a voice which certainly could not fail to make an impression, was doing his utmost to encourage the men. A suspicion of the truth had flashed across his mind at the moment when Lark answered his hail, and, as there were many thousands of dollars already belonging to him, as his share of the cargo now in the ‘‘ Montpelier,” he did not feel at all inclined to aiiow the vessel to escape him. “Oh, you lubberly rascal, you! But there'll be some fine flogging in that craft when I get xboard it!” he shouted, as Captain Lark, with a pipe in his mouth, and his loaded pistol in his right hand, although he kept out of>sight, coolly peered at him over the quarter-rail. “‘ Nonsense !” replied this individual, blowing a defiant puff of smoke towards the boat. “You'll never get a chance for that, my jolly mate! ‘T'wist me if I dox’t think it’s an impu- dent piece of business—your wishing to board ‘my ship, when I’m not willing you should !” “Why, you villain!” roared Briggs, perfectly furious; “you talk as though the vessel be- longed to you. Vii teach you better manners presently !” “The craft is mine,’ “You and Captain Howard have enjoyed her, and have the good of her for two years. Now T take possession, and I doubt, were the ship a’ive, that she would be mightily pleased with her change of owners. That's equal rights!” During this conversation the boat had lessened, another fathom, the distance between it and the ship, and Captain Lark became aware that it was time to show a little resistance. Accordingly, he ordered the three islanders to arm themselves with harpoons, and take their station at his side—a command which they obeyed with alacrity. “And now,” said the chief mutineer, level- ling his pistol at the head of the second mate, “vou'll have the goodness to tell your men to stop pulling. I do not care to have you any nearer, and the sooner you act according to my directions, the better will it be for you! It you object, 1 shall be obliged to send a bullet through your brains; but if, on the contrary, you comply, I shall leave you in unmolested possession of your boat. That’s equal rights.” ’ retorted the mutineer. But the second mate, who was a brave old fellow, and who, having “seen some fighting ” in a frigate during the war of 1812, was familiar with gunpowder as well as with whales, coolly eyed the mutineer, and replied: “Fire, and be hanged to you! You can’t scare me with any such Little plaything as that; Seizing the implement with his left, how- ever, he still encouraged his men, in a low, stern tone, that denoted his sufferings, and the effort he made to prevent the expression of them, The next moment Briggs had taken his place, and, tearing off a piece of the boat flag, the wounded man, with the assistance of the aiter oarsman, proceeded to wind it about the injured hand. As soon as this task was accomplished, his assistant Seized the boat-keg, with the inten- tion of pouring some of the fresh water 1t con- tained upon the rag. But, of all the precious elements in this world, that simple but 1in- valuable one, fresh water, is most prized and hoarded with most scrupulous care, by seafar- ing men, whose prolonzed absence from hos- pitable shores renders it difficult for them to yrecure @ sufficient supply of the treasure. ae it followed that Mr. Spooner very promptly and decidedly pushed aside the keg. “Not a drop,” said he, “shall be wasted on me. We'll need that water, badly enough, be- fore we get through with this business!” Another bullet, at this instant, came whist- ling towards the boat, and, striking the handle of one of the oars, passed through the sleeve of the mate’s jacket. “Spring, men—spring!” roared Briggs. “Tay back to your oars, with a will, and we'll be abeard the craft before that big rascal can load and fire again.” “T'm not so sure of that,” replied Lark, as he proceeded to charge both barrels of his weapon. “Some of you must*snffer before you board me, if you succeed in doing that little piece of business at all. I sha‘n’t give you any quarter, as why should I? You wish to board my ship; I don’t wish you to do so. You in- sist, and I kill some of your men—that’s equal rights!” “Til teach you equal rights with them cat- o’-nine-tails of mine,” thundered Briggs. “ ‘They were made for just such rascals as you are.” « Ay, ay, excellent,” responded Lark. “I’ve been practising with ’em, and I like ’em pretty well. Now, then, Driko,” he added, turning to that worthy, “let us see what stuff you are made of. Dart your iron, and pin Briggs.” “Ay, ay, sir,” responded the swarthy islander. And, bending back, with his long, lithe figure stretched to its utmost tension, he lifted the barbed weapon, and directed the point towards the heart of the mate. To say that the latter could stand unmoved before the point of this deadly instrument, CORE OO KSEEO)