408 
A TRAGICAL TALE OF THE SEA. 
ing no one near me, I went aft ; but seeingf here some one 
standing, I had again lifted my ax, when a voice exclaiming, 
"For God's sake, captain," convinced me it was the sick gen- 
tleman. I could only say, " Go in, sir." Roused by my strik- 
ing my hand against the ax and unhanging it, he had come 
out, and having witnessed my actions, without knowing any 
thing of the cause, he concluded me laboring under a direful 
paroxysm of madness, and instantly obeyed, thankful that he 
had not shared the fate of those who had fallen before his 
eyes. 
I found the men had all fled to the rigging, and were still 
aloft. The moon shone brightly, and I called to the nearest 
man to come down, but he would neither answer nor move. 
I went into my cabin, fetched out my foAvling-piece, and insist- 
ed on his coming down, or I would fire at him. At length he 
came down, and fell on his knees at my feet. I asked him what 
he had to say of their blood-thirsty villany : he replied, the mate 
had drawn them into it, and he was obliged to agree. "Strip!" 
said I : he did so. I then put .my gun and ax behind me, and 
cutting eighteen inches of rope, I gave him a severe floggmg^ 
to this I subjected every one of them, and they submitted with- 
out offering the least resistance ; the passengers, during the 
whole period, almost petrified, looked on. 
It only now occurred to me that there was no one at the 
helm ; I therefore took my gun and ax, and as there was no 
alternative, I was compelled to occupy that post at once. The 
passengers all came to me, but I cc^ld only beg them to leave 
me. They still halted, however, while I called the men before 
me, and told them I had now done wdth them ; their conduct 
would determine my future steps : at the same time conclude 
ing by saying 1 would still kill the first man that manifested 
a mutinous disposition, or that dared to cross a given line on 
the deck before me, without my express command. I then or- 
dered them to throw the two bodies overboard, and return Xo 
their respective duties. 
Beginning now to reflect on what I had done — -remember- 
ing that my life, my ship, my passengers, their property, and 
the cargo, were at least so far preserved — remembering at the 
same time that I had accomplished it only by the sacrifice 
of three men — that their blood had been shed by me — and 
seeing it upon me when morning dawned — my feelings over- 
came me, and I burst into tears. 
The danger was still by no means over. 1 had days' 
sail to , no mate, two men less than before, and every 
