The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 168: 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.* Thrilling experiences among the islands of the Western Pacific—The hostage chosen by the pirates to coerce the first mate—What befell when the Malays attacked the stockade on Refuge Island, SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTERS PREVIOUSLY PUBRISHED. THE clipper ship Flying Cloud, Captain Blake commanding, is en route between New York and Australia, with seven passengers: Dr. Henderson, his wife, his child Lucy and his wife’s sister, Sibyl Stanley; also Mr. Grant, a civil engineer, with his wife and seven year old son Percy. After crossing the line the chief mate, Bryce, is lost overboard and Ned Wilson, scarcely twenty, is advanced to the post, while Robert Manners, who is no older, is made second officer. Mean- time Josh Williams, one of the able seamen, foments discontent among the crew and one night Captain Blake and Manners are seized, bound and placed in captivity, while Williams in- forms Ned Wilson that the price of the safety of the women and children among the passengers is his promise to faithfully navigate the ship to the best of his ability for the muti- neers. another, but several days elapse before land that seems suitable is sighted. Finally one about six miles long is selected and the passengers are sent off in two boats. At the last moment Sibyl Stanley is detained from accompanying her friends, Williams arguing that she must be held to insure Ned’s trustworthiness. Captain Blake and Manners are landed on another island, and soon afterwards the Flying Cloud is put in at a third one, having a safe harbor between tall cliffs, screening her fromall observation. Ned, while off on an exploring trip with Sibyl, finds a cave containing thousands of dollars’ worth of gold, a discovery which they determine to keep from the knowledge of the mutineers. Meantime, after Mr. Grant has chanced upon the wreck ofa vessel, the Mermaid,:the party on Refuge Island build a raft, on which to transport the wreck, piecemeal, to the shore, to be utilized in various ways. On one of these journeys they fall in with a canoe containing Captain Blake and Rob Manners, and there is great rejoicing over the reunion. Captain Blake warns them that there are savages in the neighborhood, and they pro- ceed to build a house or fort, out of a quarry they are fortunate enough to find on the island. They plan also to build acutter, in which to escape, and after the laying of the keel Captain Blake goes fishing on the raft, is overtaken by a hurricane, and is given up for lost by his friends. They proceed with the building of their boat, which is almost completed when Grant and Percy are captured by a party of Malays who suddenly make their appearance ori the island. After those in the fort have fired upon them, they send a pictured message declaring that they would give up their prisoners only on condition that the others march out of the stockade and throw down their arms. Otherwise Grant and his little son will be burned alive. The alternative is a dreadful one and the three men, who have two women anda child to protect, know not what to do, until suddenly Dr. Henderson conceives a desperate plan. CHAPTER XX XIII.—TuHE Fortorn Hopr. [)® HENDERSON had decided upon a plan of attack. Looking at his watch, he found it was two o’clock—just four hours to sunrise. ‘There was not much time to spare, for when the sun next rose Grant and _ his child must be once more safe within the walls of the fort, or—well, that must not be thought of. *This story began in the January issue of THE ARGOSY. The jive back numbers will be matled to any address on recetpt of 50 cents. a ; Eomichbooks Williams proposes to put the passengers ashore on one island and the two ship’s officers on 3