The Mutineers and Slavers 343 



killed him. Meantime Cartha struck at the second 

 mate with a similar weapon, but missed him, 

 and then fired a pistol at him. Before he could 

 finish the work of killing this officer, however, 

 all the mutineers were called on deck to overawe 

 the forecastle men who had been aroused by the 

 shooting, and the first and second mates were 

 left in the cabin, wounded, but still able to walk. 

 The first mate, Nelson Provost, then escaped to 

 the hold while the second mate went on deck, 

 where he found Plummer in full control. 



Under Plummer' s orders the men now threw 

 the dead officers overboard and then the second 

 mate was put in irons. Some of the mutineers 

 wanted to kill him, but Plummer would not 

 allow it. The ship was then headed toward 

 the Australian coast, where the mutineers intended 

 to land, and the first mate was left in the hold to 

 shift for himself. On drawing near to land, 

 however, the need of a navigator, who, like the 

 mate, was acquainted with the coast, led the mu- 

 tineers to hunt him out. The mate himself said 

 afterwards that when they brought him up on 

 deck his hair literally stood on end through fear 



