354 The Story of the New England Whalers 



and the other beach-combers sided with Payne, 

 and with loaded musket hid near Comstock' s 

 tent in order to shoot him as soon as he should 

 appear. When Comstock came into view he saw 

 the gang, and drawing a sword, he started toward 

 them with menacing motions. When they aimed 

 their muskets at him, however, he shouted : 



" Don't shoot me ! Don't shoot me ! I won't 

 hurt you." 



In spite of this pleading four muskets were 

 fired, and he fell, pierced through the breast and 

 the head with bullets. He was dead before his 

 body reached the ground; but Payne, through 

 fear that the shooting had not killed him, chopped 

 his head almost -off with an axe. 



Having sewed the body in canvas, Payne or- 

 dered a grave dug exactly five feet deep. In this 

 the body was buried. A chapter of the Bible 

 was read and muskets were discharged by way 

 of a funeral service. 



Comstock was killed on February 17. That 

 night the ship was left in charge of Gilbert Smith, 

 a boat steerer, and five other men. As soon as 

 night came these men cut the cable and sailed 



