Page:Voyages in the Northern Pacific - 1896.djvu/41

Rh of moment occurred until the 22nd of June, when a young man, of the name of Thomas Smoke, came aft, and divulged a most villainous design, planned by four of the men, viz: John Happy, boatswain, John Carpenter, John Peterson, and John Decrutz, seamen. Their horrid purpose was to rise in the middle watch, which it happened I was to keep, and throw me overboard; one of the parties was then to go to the cabin, and dispatch the captain, who was at that time unwell, and the others were to murder the officers in the half-deck. They had asked Smoke if he could navigate the ship to the Spanish main for them: he answered that he could, and was thus enabled to frustrate their treachery.

Having put us on our guard, he went forward, but not below, and we made preparations for the villains in as private a way as possible. I wished to secure them immediately, but Captain Robson declined doing so till the morning, it being then dark. We armed all the officers in the half-deck, and opened a door which led from the cabin to that berth; we then unhinged the doors, and put them below. The second mate took the first watch from 8 o'clock to midnight, and the rest of us kept in readiness to jump on deck at the least notice. Midnight came, and I succeeded to the watch. I went on deck armed with three pair of pistols. My first care was to look round, and see that every thing was right; I then called down the forecastle, to know if the watch were coming on deck: the answer was, "Aye, aye, sir." Shortly after, Happy came on