Will Weatherhelm Part 34

The state of the crew, however, had become too bad to be amended in a hurry. Discontent of all sorts prevailed on board.

As we lay at Spithead, one day Hagger came to me and said:

"Will, I don't like the look of things, there's something going to happen. The men complain that the provisions are bad, and we don't get fresh meat and vegetables from sh.o.r.e as we ought, and there's no leave given, and flogging goes on just as it did before, and that our present captain is as severe as the last. There's a knot of them got together, and they are plotting something. That fellow, Charles Trickett, is at the bottom of it, though he takes good care not to be too forward. They have won a good many men over, and they tried to win me, but I'm not going to run my head into a noose to make bad worse."

"I know all you tell me," I replied, "except that I was not aware there was any plotting going on. No one has spoken to me, and Trickett is the last person to do so, though he would be ready to get me into a sc.r.a.pe if he could. I don't think they would be mad enough to attempt anything when they must know what would be the upshot. The leaders will be taken, and either flogged round the fleet, or hung at the yard-arm. I'm glad that you've kept clear, d.i.c.k."

Next day a man I had seldom spoken to came up while I was writing a letter to my wife, and asked me to put my name to a paper which he said wanted a witness, and he could not find any man just then who could sign his name. He was one of the Lord Mayor's men, but notwithstanding by this time had become a pretty smart hand. He had been a pickpocket or something of that sort it the streets of London, and always spoke of himself as being a gentleman, and was fond of using fine language.

"You'll render me an essential service, Weatherhelm, if you'll just do as I request. Here is the paper," and he produced a large sheet folded up. "You'll see me write my name, and you'll just write yours as a witness under it. There's the word 'witness,' you see, in pencil, you need not cover it up."

He wrote down his own name as Reginald Berkeley, and I attached my signature.

"Thank you extremely," he said, taking up the paper before I had time, notwithstanding what he said, to write down the word "witness," which I knew ought to be in ink. "That is all I require. It may, I hope, be the means of bringing me a nice little income of a thousand a year or so, to which I am ent.i.tled if I obtain my rights, as my solicitor tells me I am sure to do. I'll not forget you, Will, depend upon it. You shall come and stay with me at a snug little box I own down at Richmond,--that is to say, as soon as I come into possession of it, for I have not, properly speaking, got it yet,--or if you want a few pounds at any time, they are at your service. Thank you, thank you, go on with your letter. I must apologise for interrupting you;" and putting the paper in his pocket, he walked away.

I thought no more about the matter, and having finished and closed my letter, went on deck to get it sent on sh.o.r.e, as I knew my wife would be anxiously expecting to hear from me.

A short time after this another fellow, very much the same sort of man as Berkeley, as he called himself, addressed me, and invited me to come forward and take a gla.s.s of grog with him.

"I've got a little store of liquor of my own, and I like to share it with honest fellows like you, Weatherhelm," he said. "You and I haven't had much talk together, but I have heard of you from Hagger and others, and seen what a prime seaman you are."

"I'm much obliged to you, Pratt," I answered, for that was his name, "but I am not over fond of spirits, and never take a gla.s.s except when they are served out, and even then I had as soon, on most occasions, go without it as have it."

"I dare say you are right," answered Pratt, "there's nothing like keeping a cool head on your shoulders; we want cool heads now to guide us. You see we have been barbarously treated, and I am sure you will agree that we ought to get our rights, if we are worthy of being called men. I am told that some of the best hands in the s.h.i.+p have made up their minds on the subject, and they have asked me to join them; but I want to know what your opinion is, for I do not suppose, as you are a fellow of spirit, that you'll be hanging back."

I guessed what he was driving at, and was cautious in what I said. I advised him not to join any mad attempt to gain by force what he called our rights, saying that I had made up my mind to have nothing to do with anything of the sort. On this I endeavoured to get clear of him, but he stuck to me, and managed somehow or other to lead me among a knot of men who were all talking eagerly together. Several of them spoke to me, and one of the party began to go on much in the same strain that Pratt had done. As he held me fast by the arm, I could not get away from him without using violence, and that I did not want to use. The men were talking away, many of them together, speaking of their grievances, and complaining of the treatment they had received. Some swore that they had been flogged unjustly for things they had never done, others complained of their leave being stopped, some of the badness of their provisions, others of the tyranny of the officers, and the hard work they had to do. I made no observation, for I did not wish to have myself mixed up with them.

There was some truth in what they said, but a great deal of exaggeration, and I observed that the King's Hard Bargains were the very men to make most to do of what they suffered. Except that I had escaped a flogging, and being an able seaman never had to perform what is called dirty work, I had to suffer as much as any of them.

All this time, neither Trickett, or rather Charles Iffley, nor the fellow who called himself Reginald Berkeley, had appeared among us.

They came at last, as if sauntering by, and joining in, asked the men what they were talking about. Several again went over the list of their grievances.

"It's not to be borne!" cried Iffley.

"I should think not!" exclaimed Berkeley; "I've heard tell of a crew taking the s.h.i.+p from their officers, and sailing away, either to live the life of free rovers of the ocean, or to carry her into some foreign port where they have sold her for a large sum of money, and divided the profits among themselves. I don't say this is what we should do, or what we should be compelled to do, if things don't mend."

Soon after Berkeley had spoken, half-a-dozen of the most ruffianly fellows in the s.h.i.+p, two of whom boasted of the murders they had committed,--others had been smugglers or pirates for what I know,--came among us, and proposed that we should begin work that very night.

"Now is our opportunity," they said. "The captain is on sh.o.r.e, so are many of the officers, including the lieutenant of marines."

I soon found that matters had proceeded much farther than I had supposed, and that Berkeley and Pratt had spoken to me merely to try and get me to join them, their plans being already formed. Still, what those plans were I could not tell, or I ought, I considered, to go aft and tell the first lieutenant. If I went now, he would think that I had got hold of some c.o.c.k-and-bull story, and very likely take no notice, while, should the mutineers suspect me, I might have been knocked on the head and have been hove overboard by them in revenge.

I told Hagger, however, what I feared. He acknowledged that he had been spoken to on the subject, but did not think it would be wise, without more certain information, to take any steps in the matter.

The long evening drew on, the hammocks were piped down as usual, and the watch below pretended to turn in; but I observed that they merely kicked off their shoes, and slipped under the blankets all standing.

It had just gone four bells in the first watch, when every man turned out of his hammock. The watch on deck came springing down below and immediately uns.h.i.+pped the ladders. While some were engaged in las.h.i.+ng up the hammocks, others rushed aft and secured the warrant and petty officers.

Another more daring band made their way down to the magazine, took out a quant.i.ty of ammunition, and as many muskets and tomahawks as they could lay hands on. They then set to work to form a barricade across the deck between the bits with the hammocks, and s.h.i.+fted the two second guns from forward, which they loaded with grape and canister, and pointed them towards the hatchway. Hunting about, I found d.i.c.k Hagger, and he agreed with me that we should try to get on deck; but the ladders being uns.h.i.+pped, we had no means of doing so, and several of the men, seeing what we were about, swore that they would cut us down if we made the attempt. There were several others who also wished to escape, and observing what we had been trying to do, came and joined us. I saw a few marines among the mutineers, but the larger body of the "jollies,"

on turning out of their hammocks, retreated aft with their sergeants and corporals; but as the guns were pointed at them, they could do nothing.

The whole lower part of the s.h.i.+p was thus in possession of the mutineers, together with the magazine, stores, and water, though they could not prevent the officers from getting away or sending on sh.o.r.e to give information of what had occurred.

All night long things continued in this state. No one slept. Councils were held among the men, who swore that until their grievances were redressed they would not give in, and they would rather, if force were used, blow the s.h.i.+p up, and go to the bottom. There was nothing to prevent them doing this except their unwillingness to destroy themselves. There were some daring spirits among them, but the greater part had cowardly hearts. They thus fortunately took half measures.

They might have destroyed all the officers, overpowered the marines, and carried the s.h.i.+p off. They knew well enough, however, that there was not a man among them capable of navigating her, and that there was a great chance that they would run her ash.o.r.e before they got away from Saint Helen's. They were sure also that there was not an officer who would have taken charge of her, even if they had held a pistol to his head to try and compel him to navigate the s.h.i.+p.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

A LONG NIGHT--AN ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE--THREATS OF MY s.h.i.+PMATES--THREE ADMIRALS VISIT THE s.h.i.+P--INTERVIEW WITH THE MUTINEERS--REFUSAL TO GIVE IN--HOLDING OUT--CAPTAIN PAKENHAM ADDRESSES THE MEN--RETURNING TO DUTY-- I AM TAKEN AS A MUTINEER--AWAITING TRIAL--CONDUCT OF THE RINGLEADERS-- THE COURT-MARTIAL--MY SIGNATURE PRODUCED IN EVIDENCE AGAINST ME--A PLOT TO DESTROY ME FRUSTRATED--CAPTAIN PAKENHAM PROVES MY FRIEND--EXAMINATION OF d.i.c.k HAGGER ON MY BEHALF--I AM ACQUITTED--EXECUTION OF THE MUTINEERS.

I have spent many a trying night, waiting anxiously for day, but this was as trying as any. It was, if I recollect rightly, the 3rd or 4th of December. When at length the morning broke, the mutineers seemed as determined as ever. At last it was proposed to let the warrant and petty officers go on deck. On hearing this, Hagger and I with a few others crept along to the after-hatchway, pretending that our object was merely to s.h.i.+p the ladder to allow the officers to reach the upper deck.

The officers hurried up as fast as they could, glad to get away out of the power of the mutineers. Several of the men followed them, and Hagger and I had got our feet on the ladder, when we were seized hold of and dragged back, and the ladder was again uns.h.i.+pped.

Ten or twelve of the men had made themselves most active, and were looked upon as the ringleaders of the conspiracy, Berkeley and Pratt being among the number; but Iffley, if he had really been at the bottom of the affair, pretended to be led by the others. Whenever he spoke, he counselled mild measures, though he managed, some way or other, that they should not be adopted.

Having command of the store-rooms, the mutineers served out among those below as many provisions as were required. Dividing themselves into two watches, one stood guard with fifty or sixty muskets, and the guns pointed aft, while the rest either slept or sat on deck and smoked.

There were hot discussions as to what should be done, and occasionally there were quarrels, for enough grog was served out to excite the men's spirits; but the ringleaders took care that they should get no more, for if once drunkenness began, they were aware that they would very speedily be overpowered. In the course of the afternoon, the first lieutenant hailed down the after-hatchway, saying that three admirals whom we all knew had come on board to hear what grievances we had to complain of, and to endeavour to redress them.

On hearing this, the ringleaders went aft, each man armed with a musket, a tomahawk or cutla.s.s by his side, looking as brazen-faced and impudent as could be, trusting to the numbers at their backs.

Among the officers who addressed us were Lord Bridport and Admiral Cornwallis. Lord Bridport inquired, in a kind way, what the mutineers had to complain of, and pointed out the folly and wickedness of their proceedings, "What would become of our country if other s.h.i.+ps were to follow your bad example, my lads?" he asked. "The honour and glory of England, of which you are so justly proud, would be humbled in the dust, and we should have the Frenchmen coming over to England with their guillotine and their Republican notions, and the ruin of all we hold dear would be the consequence. But I am not afraid of that. I know English seamen too well to suppose for a moment that others would imitate you. They may have grievances to complain of, but would disdain to adopt the mode you have of showing your dissatisfaction."

Admiral Cornwallis spoke in a more indignant strain. "I am ashamed of you, lads," he exclaimed; "you call yourselves British seamen, and yet upset all discipline, and act the part of rascally buccaneers who turn against their officers the moment they have anything to complain of."

He said a good deal more in the same strain, but the men would scarcely listen to him. Some of them shouted out together what they wanted, but even on those points they were not all agreed.

"Are you going to return to your duty, lads!" asked Admiral Bridport at last.

"No, we are not," shouted several of the men. "We don't return to our duty until we get our rights."

On this the admirals walked away, and we saw them shortly afterwards, through the ports, leaving the s.h.i.+p for Portsmouth.

The second night went by much as the first had done. The mutineers, numbering about two hundred and fifty men, retained possession of the lower deck, and would allow no one to come down, and none of the better-disposed men whom they doubted to go up. Hagger and I, with others, were thus kept prisoners. They had opposed to them the commissioned, warrant, and petty officers, all the marines except six, who, silly fellows, had been persuaded to join them, and about thirty seamen who had managed to escape on deck. They might thus quickly have been subdued by force, but then the lives of many on both sides must have been sacrificed; and if once blood had been shed, the mutineers, knowing that they fought with ropes round their necks, would have struggled desperately to the last, and would very likely have blown the s.h.i.+p up when they found all hope had gone. At length the watch off duty lay down on deck to sleep, for they had used all the hammocks to form a barricade. Hagger and I followed their example, hoping that next morning they would come to a better state of mind; but we were mistaken, and all day they held out, just as they had done before, and so they did the next and the next.

At last two or three of the petty officers, who were the least obnoxious, came and asked them to allow water and provisions to be got up, saying "that if those below were badly off in one way, they themselves were worse off in another, as neither had come off from the sh.o.r.e, and they were pretty well starving."

Though some of the ringleaders would have prevented this if they could, the greater part of the men were ready enough to let those on deck have the provisions, and accordingly they set to work and sent up whatever was wanted.

Though they did this, they seemed as resolved as ever to resist. The heavy guns and small arms were kept loaded, and some of the ringleaders talked as big as ever, but I saw that the greater number were getting heartily weary of their confinement and their state of uncertainty. The authorities must have well-known that this would be the case. At last, on the morning of the 11th, word was received that Captain Pakenham (with whom a good many of the men had served) wanted to speak to them.

Coming to the hatchway, he addressed the men in firm but gentle terms.

I forget exactly what he said, but I know it at once had a good effect with many of them, notwithstanding that the ringleaders tried to persuade them to hold out longer.

I was trying to persuade some of my s.h.i.+pmates to listen to what Captain Pakenham was saying, and to return to their duty, when Berkeley and Pratt, seizing hold of me, swore that they would shoot me through the head if I uttered another word, and dragged me forward.