The Argosy, Vol. XXIV No. 2 — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

_ ‘THE MUTINY ON THE FLYING CLOUD. 359 with lines so cunningly molded that while it would doubtless require a good strong breeze to show her off to the utmost advantage, Nicholls and Manners —who might both be expected to know a good hull when they saw it—con- fidently predicted that she would prove very nimble even in light airs. And so confident were they of her sea going powers that they averred, again and again, they would not be afraid to face in her even such a hurri- cane as that which had robbed them of poor Captain Blake ; indeed, they even went the length of volunteering to take her half around the world to New York after she should have accomplished the primary mission of her existence in conveying the party to a civilized port. Matters were in this satisfactory state, the work having reached sucha stage of advancement that the rigging of the Petrel—as they had decided to nani the little cutter—had already been begun, and some talk was being in- dulged in of hopes that the launch might be accomplished within the following week, when, on a bright Sunday afternoon, Grant started for the main island, taking the two children with him, the object of the little party being to gather a few of the strangely shaped and exceedingly beautiful shells to be found on the sea beach, as mementoes of their long sojourn on Refuge Island. The ladies preferred to remain at home, deciding that the day was far too hot for walking exercise ; and the doctor remained with them for com- pany. It was getting on toward sunset—indeed, the sun had already disap- peared behind the high ground to the westward of the fort—and the doctor with his two fair companions had ascended tothe flat, rampart-like roof of the building, to enjoy the cool, refreshing breeze and watch for the return of the shell gatherers, when the sound of a musket shot, quickly followed by some five or six others, broke upon the air with startling effect, and immediately afterwards the head of a lofty triangular sail glided into view from behind some tall bushes which had hitherto concealed its approach. That a strange craft of some sort was in the river was the first idea witleh presented itself to Henderson’s mind; that Grant-—who was unarmed—and the children were but too probably at that moment crossing from the main, and consequently in full view from the deck of the strange craft, was the next; and that the firing must necessatily have proceeded from the unlooked for visitor and bean indication of hostility, possibly directed against Grant and the youngsters, was the third—the three ideas following each other with the rapidity of a lightning flash. To these succeeded a fourth—the Malays ! So long a time had elapsed since poor Blake had arrived with his alarming intelligence respecting the propinquity of these rascals and his disquieting suggestions as to a possible visit from them, that, though his anxious watch had been for some time maintained, the uninterrupted absence of any alarm- ing indications had at length resulted in so complete a relaxation of vigilance that even the very existence of these pests of the eastern seas had been forgotten. What if the wretches were upon them now? It seemed only too probable. GOMIGcbooksnceo