THE TRAGEDY ON BOARD THE SOUTHERN STAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1121, 18 June 1867, Page 6

THE TRAGEDY ON BOARD THE SOUTHERN STAR.

{Concluded.) . I felt most macl as I looted at tliem by tlie light of the cabin ] ant era. Hair torn down, dresses lialf dragged from tlieir shoulders, while right across the face of Miss Mary was a mark as of a blow, while her poor lip was cut and bleeding. " Oh, pray save us !" she cried, putting her poor hand on mine as I clung there. " As I hope God may save me," I said, " or I'll die for you." And then there was silence for a few moments, and if I had dared I should have kissed the soft hand that nestled against mine so trustingly, but I thought it would be cowardly audi did not. " And now," I whispered, "I'm going on deck." "Don't leave us," sobbed Miss Madeline. "Itis to try what I can do to get you away," I whispered ; and then, the poor girl, who seemed half fainting, sank down kneeling on the floor, and her sister leaned over her and said to me—'• We'll pray- for you, Cross." " Then I shall succeed," I said, for I felt that I should. * * * * I crawled to the skylight and looked down into the passengers' cabin, where I could see Hicks, Philips, and two more playing cards, wlule another lay on the bulkhead asleep. It was a good thing I had no pistol in my hand, or I should have had that Hicks's blood upon mj head then. I crept away from the skylight and under the bulwarks again, when all at once some one had me by the throat and tried to turn me on my back, but T was too quick, for I had my knife against his ribs in a moment, and hissed out— " You're a dead man if you stir." That was sharp practice, for we were both on our knees close against the bulwarks, and I could feel his hot breath right in my face, as he must have felt mine. Just then he gave a bit of a shift and my knife pricked him, for I meant what I said then, but the prick made him start so that he a bit got the better of me, and had tight hold 01 my hand which held the knife. " ISow, you murdering, piratical scoundrel," lie hissed between his teeth, and I began to feel that if I didn't look sharp I should have the worst of it. iST-ow give up the knife, you dog, or I'll strangle you, if its only for poor Jack's sake." ".Hullo!" t says in a whisper, slackening ray hold. "Hullo!" he says in a whisper, slackening his hold. " What, Tom, matey !" I says. " AYhat, Jack, old lad !" he says ; and I'm blessed if we didn't hug each other like two great gals. "Why, I thought they'd knocked you on the head," I says. " Why. I see thcinpitchyouoverboard," hesajs. "Yes," I says, " but I got on the rudder-chains." "Ah !" he says ; " aticl iu the lustle I was knocked down ; but I got doivii bciow niter and got in the empty water-casks. I ain't been out a quarter of an hour." "Who'si on deck?" I says "Only that chap at. the wheel," he says. " for I've been all round."

Ancl then. v,-e luul a whispor together for live minutes, which en Jed in our creeping up to where the boat hung. " There's water in her," says Torn. "And there's safe to be some biscuit in the locker," I says. " But," says Tom, " hadn't we better stop in hiding ? we shall be starved." " Tom," says I; and then I whispered to him about what I'd heard and what I'd seen, when he stopped me. Hold hard mate," he says.; " just see it' the boat-hook and oars are in ; I'm with yon " Kvcrythiwr was in its place, and then en::! iously we undid the ropes and began slowly to lower down the boat,.meaning to fasten the lines at last and slide down. The blocks ran easy enough, but on. such a silent night, do what we could, there was some noise and at last one of the wheels gave sueh a chirrup that the noise in the cabin stopped, and wo stopped too, and dircctly after some one came up the cabin stairs and on dcek, and as we cowered close together under the bulwarks, holding on to the ropes, and trembling lest we should let them slip ever so little, J licks—for 1 knew his stop — walked elose by us right forward, and then back on the othc-r side, where he kicked the man by the wheel savagely, and spoke to him once or twice,, but there was no answer, and then muttering to hinself l>c went, below again. " That was close," said Tom, for he had almost brushed against us, and then we each took along breath, and amidst a good deal of noisy talk the boat kissed the water, and we lashed our rones fast. " Wow if wa only had some more prog," said Tom. T wouldn't care." " Do-''t stop, mate, I says, "there's lines in the locker, and p'raps they've something in the cabin." '• All right," says Tom, and he slid over the side and was in the boat in a moment, but not without rattling one of the oars, and I trembled again for fear he should have been heard. But all was quiet, and the next moment I was beside him, and as we couldn't unhook the boat I cut the ropes fora and aft, and then Tom slowly worked her along and under the cabin window where those demons were sitting, then passed the window of the captain's cabin, round tho rudder, and then there was a joyful cry, for I had fast hold of tho sheets hanging down. " Make her fast with the painter, Tom," I said and up I went, and next minute stood between those two creatv. vos. both of them clinging to me in that sad way—it was pitiful. " God bless you for this," whispered Miss Mary at length as I made the sheet-rope fast round her. '• Be kind ! to us for we are in your hands." I didn't say anything, but I did kneel down and kiss her hand that time. ,r " Shy down some blankets," Tom whispered, and I dragged those out that were in the cots and threw them down a.nd the pillows too. On the table 'was biscuit, cheese, meat, and cake, and these I slipped into a pillow-case and lowered down. In tho lockers, too, were biscuit tins and, two wicker-covered bottles, _ and these I lowered down. * . * I lieard a noise, started up, tind leaped one side

fust as Hicks-stood in the door and He had lowered his revolver to cod- fnt. i? Shot, but he had-no time, for I was on r instant with my knife driven deep into and chest, and then he fell with a gurgling I miiencncd out the knife dragged to tkc°dnni and was out of the window ju°st ,s Tom was chmbing up by means of the boat-hook, for he could not reach the sheet. " Bnek " -avsT •• back quick! j, and cast of the painter', and while to s'f H C i hUS - 0U -° f r " J ily 1 Lad time ™ougli to see Hicks give two or three clutches at the carpet and then lie still, -j he moment after I t!le b ° al: - illld one tremendous shove sent her yards away from the as it were mto a th.ck bank of darkness. -'Lie down," t -°, th V v : ,diL ' s ' ;l!!d *«» -Madeline,. V(1 01 sls - t 7 s - oi: ' ""Idle Tom and I Tot away oar3 ' 2 " " S (luiL ' as possible paddTed J >ayliglit came at last, and I was Surprised to find the ship ;iot the distance off that I had hoped—so near, indeed, that I saw if a breeze sprung up she must soon overhaul us. Soon alter, when I looked again, I saw that the Star had some sails shook out, and was coming bowling along after us fast. I couldn't help it: i my life had been at stake that groan must have come, and just then there was another behind me I turned sharp round just as ioms oar Infc me m the back, and there was the poor follow, swooned right away. I laid the oars in, and Miss Mary came and helped me, when between us we got him laid at the bottom of the boat, and then, while putting him com--fortable, I found what I didn't know before that his head was regularly laid open, and there had he been, working till he dropped, .without saying a single word, or giving a groan. Wo ~ bathed it, and tore jp one of tho sheets, and tied it up, and after a bit he seemed to 'come to a little, but it was only to talk wildly and throw his arms about and stare. So when, we had done all, we could for the poor fellow we • made a sort of shelter over him, and then, as I was shading my eyes, and looking out towards the Star to see what she made, I found as I couldn't see her, aud that things looked swimming and misty-like, and then back I went across the thwarts as if struck down. But I wasn't long so, for I soon came to, and as I did so the horrible deathly sick feeling went off I felt- the blood come up in my face with a rush as a regular wild thrill ran through . : me, and I closed my eyes and lay quite still as if dare notmove. for there was that face bending over me, and those soft hands -were bathing my face, while twice over there was a tender, pitying tear fell upon .my cheek. " Poor fellows ! what 3 r ouhavo suffered for us," she said, as I got upand said I was better now. "It was that crack- ' ou the head, you see, miss," i said. " What! were you wounded too?" she exclaimed. "Oil, not much," I said, "not much. One of those blackguards knocked me down in the scuffle. But," I said, trying to put a good face on thematter, though I could not help feeling better as. . I said it—" but I'm only a common, thick--headed sailor." " Hush !" she said, with such a , quiet, dignified way as she could put ou when.,;} she liked —"hush! Don't-peak like that when.,]., you-have acted so nobly, so heroically, and—. • aud—may God bless you for it." And' here voice seemed to break down, and she turned.'* away her head for a minute. All this time the ship came slowly nearer, and., nearer, and Miss Mary whispered in my face, ! : " We shall be taken again shall we not?" X could not answer, but i knew that if the wind; ' freshened ever so little they would be alongside , us by dark. But she wanted no answer, for she read it all in my face. " God bless you, brave,, noble man," she said, " then we must jo;n poor' . papa;" and then she seemed as if she would say :■ something more, but did not spe.tk for perhaps, half an hour, when, as the wind freshened, an<L ; r the ship came bowlingalong towards, usslie spokeagain in a whisper-—" i'ou know, if we are taken what is in store for us, aud I- suppose,!T . she said mournfully, " they will not. be mcrcitful to you ?" I gave-my head a shake. " Then," she said, with quite a smile on her beautiful lipjfj " I want you to promise, ou your oath as a man, that we shall not —poor sister aud me— fall alive into the hands of those, monsters." What do you mean.'" I says, feeling all of a tremble, and with the sweat standing on my forehead, " What. Jo yo'ti mean ?" " For God's sake—for the sake of your mother—by all you. hold dear aitdhcly," she whispered, '"'kill us both." "• I couldn't—l coulun fcl groaned. " Would you sooner sec me do it- ?" she said quietly. I could : not speak, for -I felt choking. ! could d:» i/othing . but gaze in a wild sort of way. at the beautiful creature who-was talking so calmly of death..- " There is no mercy from those monsters," she , said—" so promise," and she took both my . hands and I.promised, for the blood seemed to rush through lay veins agfin as she livid my hands, and I thought of the cries and prayers £ - heard as I hung on the rudder chains, and then I should sooner clasp, lier in my arms and plungo., overboard..than that one of those ruliiatis should ever aaniii lay a linger upon her. " I swear it," [ says, and then with a choky husky voice X savs, " and you'll forgive me !" " es, she says and pray for you." And now 1 felt calm. "/iiiothor quarter of an hour and then death," I muttered, as I thought to myself ; butt they both heard it, and Miss Alary looked up in my face with so sweet and heavenly a smile as said; —" Yes, dear friend, aud rest where there is no more- sin and suffering, no more pain and, sorrow. But a little while and we shall be at pence,' x and with a wild, strange look she laid her hand upon my knife which stuck jh. my belt, and taking it, tried with her tender fmgeis to open the great blade, while her sister seeing the movement, covered her face with her hands and slipped fainting off the seat. "Poor Maddy I good-bye !" said Mary, kneeling bj- her, and kissing her pale face, and then she glan:ed at the , ship, aud then fixed her eyes on mine as I held the great opan-bladed knife in my hand "I willnot flinch," she whispered. " with this," I. said hoarsely ; it's stained with his foul blood, aud cutting the lanyard which held it I threw itoverboard. " JN o," I says, '■ 1 could not do that we'll go down together." * * * Nearer and nearer still came the ship : but now shadow deepened, for we were where there was no twilight, but a quick change from day to uight. * * The ship would pass within twenty yards ot us I knew, but it was almost dark alreadv, and as she cauio dashing down the breeze seemed to freshen as if by magic, and as: tho old .Star swept by, my arm sank to my side and I fell ou my knees in the boat mul wring— : '' Saved, saved 1" for-the ship was lar ascern, and. I knew that before she could bring to under their clumsy management it would be night, for even now it was dark.. The change from despair to hope was so sudden, that for a few minutes X could scarcely believe in the truth ol our position, but a hand laid upon my urm aroused me, and' I explained how it all was, and that there was a chance of life. " Only pray for this wind ta keep up, miss, and if we see her masts in the morning I shall be surprised." " ' hen are we saved indeed," whispered a voice, but it was not hers ; and on speaking again. I found tnat Miss Mary had given up at last, and was now sobbing in her sister's lap. when she, the poor weak one, roused up directly, and was soothing ana comforting her sister who had held up so fong> and >ravely. When daylight came I looked long and anxiously for the ship, but there was not a mast in sight, and so i told those anxious ones, whoso lips were quivering, and w_io darea not ask the question. .Sot a sail in sight, Jsaid, aud I up with our own, and away we went

over tlie bright dancing waters. * g a * * ■ * * * I "Well, we still bounded before the wind, fVff tlie breeze held good, keeping as steady as be. The ladies slept by turns, and by tnrnK ' watched poor Tom, who had been tended With.

all the care wo could give to him, but in spite o"i all v.'f did, he grew worse and worse ; and at last, when he recovered his senses a bit. lie was so weak and feeble that wc cotild scarcely catch his words. He talked to us, too, a good deal, and did not seem sorrowful or unhappy, though he said lie knew he was going. "I've been nc good to you !" lie said to Miss Mary as site was kneeling down weeping by his side one evening when there was not enough aiv to make the sail flap —"I've been no good to you, but 1 did what I could. Put her head a bit more to the west. Jack, he added, and lieju-t managed to take hold of Miss Mary's hand, and put it to hi:: lips : and then, '•.lack.' he says, "you've had it all to do. mate, and you've got it to finish ; and 1 won't ask r.iy old j..ate to swear, but you'll dc what's right by them both, won't you ?" "Ay, lad.'' I said. " 1 w.il." and ihe water came in my e , es as .1 said it : for he spoke so that 1 was afraul something was very nigh indeed. "'1 hen I shall go easy. -lack, mate, for I'm going to give up the number of my mess;" and then he was sdent for a bit, till Miss Mary sobbed quite ai.md, and said she was going to lose a dear true friend. " No." said Tom. smiling sadly ; "only a poor sailor, Miss, as tried to do his duty by you, and broke down, but .lack here will take my watch for me, and (iod bless you all. for 1 don't think I shall sec the sun go down again." After that ho went oil' so quietly, that, tdl I heard the young ladies sobbing behind me. 1 did not know he was gone. It was a sad blow that to fad on our little ship's company ; but I did alfSas I knew my poor mate would have liked, and as I know he would have done by me. I lashed him up in one of the sheets with a shot at Ins feet, —one that had been in the boat for ballast—and at sundown Miss Mary said some prayers over the poor fellow, and then, with a more sorrowful heart than ever I felt before, I hove my poor mate overboard, and then 1 sat down in the bows, feeling as if I didn't mind how soon it was me as was called, till I thought of what I had promised poor Tom. " Put her head a bit more to the westward," poor Tom had said, and I did ; and, taking turn and turn with me. Miss Mary gave me a watch below, or. of course I could not have held up ; and one day—flie second after poor Tom went—■ I was dreaming about what was the case, namely, that our supply of water was out, wlier. I felt my arm shook, and, waking up in a fright, I found that. Miss Alary had thrown the wind out of the sail, and there she was, looking frightened and liorriiied-like at a vessel standing right across our course. "Oh, what shall we do?" she cried. "Frigate," I says, "man-o'-war," as I took a good look at ihe stranger. " What! not the Star h" she exclaimed, clasping her hands. "3S T o," I says, taking the tiller, and running down towards the stranger; but though w'e were out of water, I could not help doing it with a heavy heart, for it seemed that a great change was coming. But those two loving hearts were together, and when I saw them praying I kept my eye upon the frigate, and would not show what was passing in my own mind." In a couple of hours we were alongside, and our boat was hoisted on board, and the ladies had a cabin given up to 'em ; but it fell to my lot to tell the story of our sufferings, and I did it to the captain and some of the officers, for it was a Queen's ship. I saw the captain frown more than once, and lie got up in a hasty, fretful way and began to inarch up and down the loom till I'd done, when he says : " My man, we must have you if you'll stay with us." A few days after we were at the Cape, where the captain stopped to land the ladies, of whom I had seen but very little since we went on board the frigate, for they had hardly left their cabin, though it was wonderful what respect the officers paid them, and how kind every one was to me, specially when they saw them two run to speak to and shake hands with me when they did come on deck. I thought it all over ; what the captain had said, and all about it : and I went to see the ladies once, by their own invitation, while they were staying at a gentleman's house ; and I felt- more low and sad than ever when I saw them dressed in deep mourning, for it brought all the scenes up again of that unlucky voyage ; but I tried to rouse up, for though no scholar, and only a sailor, I knew as it was now time to wake up from a sort oi wild dream as T had been in. So I said " Good-bye''to them, and they both cried at our parting, and made me promise that I would go to see them when I was in England : for I knew that their passage home was taken, and I had made up mind what was best: and I told.the ladies i was going to join the frigate. It was a sad afternoon that, and they semnd both of them cut to the heart to say "Good-hye.'" and i was too. But the words were said at last, and ihcy each gave me a little ring to wear upon iny liandkereher for their sake ; and tin n. when '■ wa> coming away, Miss Madeline first j ui both her hands in mine, and put her face a> mituraily and tenderly as a little child wouk. and kij.--.-etl me : and then Miss Mary put both L, r lmmis in mine—little white soft hands in n. v roii-!, horny j alms — and slit', too, with a cliiiiii-h Ivvini; innocence, and with the tears rmimni: (i-iii; her checks, said "Good-bye," and she. t'-.0, ],;c as a dear sister would a brother. 'J hrre was a feeling as of something choking in 1.-.y throat as I, too. tried to sav the parti::'.' W'.ird.-. f.r [ was now quite awake from the Mii-t o: dream that of late had come on me at time-, ;:nd 1 hurried away. «' d!.' not return to England for two years after that ; but belure 1 had been ashore — mo.-t as s-.-on as we were in port — there was some on one board as wanted to see me, and T was soon standing face to face with a tall, sharp eyed, oiheer locking gentleman, who told me his name was Captain llortonr and lie shook hands heartily, and thanked me for what he called my gallant behaviour to iiis sisters, lie said I was to go and see them, and left the address ; and when he went away told me, and gave it me on paper, that there was fifty pounds in one of the banks whenever 1 like to draw ; and also, that I was never to want for a friend while he and his sisters lived ; and then he shook hands and left mo standing thinking of the bygone, and looking at the packet he left with rne. I took and opened that packet, and there was a handsome silver watch in ir. and a five-pound note inside 1 a letter, which was written and signed by Miss j Mary ; but (hero wns a good deal in it as coming from her sister. It was a letter as I didn't, feel it a disgrace fo drop a few tears on ; and it was like that kiss, such a one as a dear sister would write to her brother. Jfc said I was to go and see them ; and there was a good deal in it"about the sad past, and what-she. too, called my gallant behaviour, when it was nothing more than my duty. She said, that they would ever pray for my welfare, and begged that I would wear the watch jor tl:nr take, while I was not to think the less of it because it. was not of gold, for their brother thought that a silver one would be the more suitable present. And that part somehow seemect to hurt me, for it was like saying that a silver one was more suited for a man in my station, which was quite right; but. for all that, it sec-m.'d fo rankle, though I knew at heart as the ettcr was tenderly and lovingly meant. I3utall tliiit went of}'again ; and the letter and the note ] d it. and the watch, lie together in my chest; and so sure as I take 'em out and look at them, fjet ini that way again ; and, at times, n flic long watches far away at sea there's a ngnt jaee with golden hair floating round it, null seems to smile on me, and it's there, too, n c.ilni or storm ; and when I've hung over the ouiwiirks, thinking and calling back all the ho l'i s s:ul v °y** l S 0 ' I' vt; thought, perthat il I had been something better than a l"""°- saiior, what I ielt might have been t l '~ , now you have it all down, sir, though ari | 'j'" 3' OU what became of my old ship, hnit ' P ve thought as she went to the T", 1 "'" 1 " handled.—Abridged J rom Chamber's Journal.