Poe, Edgar Allen - The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe

by Volume 01-05 (lit)

  purpose. The fate of this villain, however, was speedily and silently

  decided; for Peters, approaching him in a careless manner, as if

  about to address him, seized him by the throat, and, before he could

  utter a single cry, tossed him over the bulwarks. He then called to

  us, and we came up. Our first precaution was to look about for

  something with which to arm ourselves, and in doing this we had to

  proceed with great care, for it was impossible to stand on deck an

  instant without holding fast, and violent seas broke over the vessel

  at every plunge forward. It was indispensable, too, that we should be

  quick in our operations, for every minute we expected the mate to be

  up to set the pumps going, as it was evident the brig must be taking

  in water very fast. After searching about for some time, we could

  find nothing more fit for our purpose than the two pump-handles, one

  of which Augustus took, and I the other. Having secured these, we

  stripped off the shirt of the corpse and dropped the body overboard.

  Peters and myself then went below, leaving Augustus to watch upon

  deck, where he took his station just where Allen had been placed, and

  with his back to the cabin companionway, so that, if any of the mates

  gang should come up, he might suppose it was the watch.

  As soon as I got below I commenced disguising myself so as to

  represent the corpse of Rogers. The shirt which we had taken from the

  body aided us very much, for it was of singular form and character,

  and easily recognizable- a kind of smock, which the deceased wore

  over his other clothing. It was a blue stockinett, with large white

  stripes running across. Having put this on, I proceeded to equip

  myself with a false stomach, in imitation of the horrible deformity

  of the swollen corpse. This was soon effected by means of stuffing

  with some bedclothes. I then gave the same appearance to my hands by

  drawing on a pair of white woollen mittens, and filling them in with

  any kind of rags that offered themselves. Peters then arranged my

  face, first rubbing it well over with white chalk, and afterward

  blotching it with blood, which he took from a cut in his finger. The

  streak across the eye was not forgotten and presented a most shocking

  appearance.

  ~~~ End of Text of Chapter 7 ~~~

  CHAPTER 8

  AS I viewed myself in a fragment of looking-glass which hung up

  in the cabin, and by the dim light of a kind of battle-lantern, I was

  so impressed with a sense of vague awe at my appearance, and at the

  recollection of the terrific reality which I was thus representing,

  that I was seized with a violent tremour, and could scarcely summon

  resolution to go on with my part. It was necessary, however, to act

  with decision, and Peters and myself went upon deck.

  We there found everything safe, and, keeping close to the

  bulwarks, the three of us crept to the cabin companion-way. It was

  only partially closed, precautions having been taken to prevent its

  being suddenly pushed to from without, by means of placing billets of

  wood on the upper step so as to interfere with the shutting. We found

  no difficulty in getting a full view of the interior of the cabin

  through the cracks where the hinges were placed. It now proved to

  have been very fortunate for us that we had not attempted to take

  them by surprise, for they were evidently on the alert. Only one was

  asleep, and he lying just at the foot of the companion-ladder, with a

  musket by his side. The rest were seated on several mattresses, which

  had been taken from the berths and thrown on the floor. They were

  engaged in earnest conversation; and although they had been

  carousing, as appeared from two empty jugs, with some tin tumblers

  which lay about, they were not as much intoxicated as usual. All had

  knives, one or two of them pistols, and a great many muskets were

  lying in a berth close at hand.

  We listened to their conversation for some time before we could

  make up our minds how to act, having as yet resolved on nothing

  determinate, except that we would attempt to paralyze their

  exertions, when we should attack them, by means of the apparition of

  Rogers. They were discussing their piratical plans, in which all we

  could hear distinctly was, that they would unite with the crew of a

  schooner _Hornet_, and, if possible, get the schooner herself into

  their possession preparatory to some attempt on a large scale, the

  particulars of which could not be made out by either of us.

  One of the men spoke of Peters, when the mate replied to him in a

  low voice which could not be distinguished, and afterward added more

  loudly, that "he could not understand his being so much forward with

  the captain's brat in the forecastle, and he thought the sooner both

  of them were overboard the better." To this no answer was made, but

  we could easily perceive that the hint was well received by the whole

  party, and more particularly by Jones. At this period I was

  excessively agitated, the more so as I could see that neither

  Augustus nor Peters could determine how to act. I made up my mind,

  however, to sell my life as dearly as possible, and not to suffer

  myself to be overcome by any feelings of trepidation.

  The tremendous noise made by the roaring of the wind in the

  rigging, and the washing of the sea over the deck, prevented us from

  hearing what was said, except during momentary lulls. In one of

  these, we all distinctly heard the mate tell one of the men to "go

  forward, have an eye upon them, for he wanted no such secret doings

  on board the brig." It was well for us that the pitching of the

  vessel at this moment was so violent as to prevent this order from

  being carried into instant execution. The cook got up from his

  mattress to go for us, when a tremendous lurch, which I thought would

  carry away the masts, threw him headlong against one of the larboard

  stateroom doors, bursting it open, and creating a good deal of other

  confusion. Luckily, neither of our party was thrown from his

  position, and we had time to make a precipitate retreat to the

  forecastle, and arrange a hurried plan of action before the messenger

  made his appearance, or rather before he put his head out of the

  companion-hatch, for he did not come on deck. From this station he

  could not notice the absence of Allen, and he accordingly bawled out,

  as if to him, repeating the orders of the mate. Peters cried out,

  "Ay, ay," in a disguised voice, and the cook immediately went below,

  without entertaining a suspicion that all was not right.

  My two companions now proceeded boldly aft and down into the

  cabin, Peters closing the door after him in the same manner he had

  found it. The mate received them with feigned cordiality, and told

  Augustus that, since he had behaved himself so well of late, he might

  take up his quarters in the cabin and be one of them for the future.

  He then poured him out a tumbler half full of rum, and made him drink

  it. All this I saw and heard, for I followed my friends to the cabin

  as soon as the
door was shut, and took up my old point of

  observation. I had brought with me the two pump-handles, one of which

  I secured near the companion-way, to be ready for use when required.

  I now steadied myself as well as possible so as to have a good

  view of all that was passing within, and endeavoured to nerve myself

  to the task of descending among the mutineers when Peters should make

  a signal to me, as agreed upon. Presently he contrived to turn the

  conversation upon the bloody deeds of the mutiny, and by degrees led

  the men to talk of the thousand superstitions which are so

  universally current among seamen. I could not make out all that was

  said, but I could plainly see the effects of the conversation in the

  countenances of those present. The mate was evidently much agitated,

  and presently, when some one mentioned the terrific appearance of

  Rogers' corpse, I thought he was upon the point of swooning. Peters

  now asked him if he did not think it would be better to have the body

  thrown overboard at once as it was too horrible a sight to see it

  floundering about in the scuppers. At this the villain absolutely

  gasped for breath, and turned his head slowly round upon his

  companions, as if imploring some one to go up and perform the task.

  No one, however, stirred, and it was quite evident that the whole

  party were wound up to the highest pitch of nervous excitement.

  Peters now made me the signal. I immediately threw open the door of

  the companion-way, and, descending, without uttering a syllable,

  stood erect in the midst of the party.

  The intense effect produced by this sudden apparition is not at

  all to be wondered at when the various circumstances are taken into

  consideration. Usually, in cases of a similar nature, there is left

  in the mind of the spectator some glimmering of doubt as to the

  reality of the vision before his eyes; a degree of hope, however

  feeble, that he is the victim of chicanery, and that the apparition

  is not actually a visitant from the old world of shadows. It is not

  too much to say that such remnants of doubt have been at the bottom

  of almost every such visitation, and that the appalling horror which

  has sometimes been brought about, is to be attributed, even in the

  cases most in point, and where most suffering has been experienced,

  more to a kind of anticipative horror, lest the apparition might

  possibly be real, than to an unwavering belief in its reality. But,

  in the present instance, it will be seen immediately, that in the

  minds of the mutineers there was not even the shadow of a basis upon

  which to rest a doubt that the apparition of Rogers was indeed a

  revivification of his disgusting corpse, or at least its spiritual

  image. The isolated situation of the brig, with its entire

  inaccessibility on account of the gale, confined the apparently

  possible means of deception within such narrow and definite limits,

  that they must have thought themselves enabled to survey them all at

  a glance. They had now been at sea twenty-four days, without holding

  more than a speaking communication with any vessel whatever. The

  whole of the crew, too- at least all whom they had the most remote

  reason for suspecting to be on board- were assembled in the cabin,

  with the exception of Allen, the watch; and his gigantic stature (be

  was six feet six inches high) was too familiar in their eyes to

  permit the notion that he was the apparition before them to enter

  their minds even for an instant. Add to these considerations the

  awe-inspiring nature of the tempest, and that of the conversation

  brought about by Peters; the deep impression which the loathsomeness

  of the actual corpse had made in the morning upon the imaginations of

  the men; the excellence of the imitation in my person, and the

  uncertain and wavering light in which they beheld me, as the glare of

  the cabin lantern, swinging violently to and fro, fell dubiously and

  fitfully upon my figure, and there will be no reason to wonder that

  the deception had even more than the entire effect which we had

  anticipated. The mate sprang up from the mattress on which he was

  lying, and, without uttering a syllable, fell back, stone dead, upon

  the cabin floor, and was hurled to the leeward like a log by a heavy

  roll of the brig. Of the remaining seven, there were but three who

  had at first any degree of presence of mind. The four others sat for

  some time rooted apparently to the floor, the most pitiable objects

  of horror and utter despair my eyes ever encountered. The only

  opposition we experienced at all was from the cook, John Hunt, and

  Richard Parker; but they made but a feeble and irresolute defence.

  The two former were shot instantly by Peters, and I felled Parker

  with a blow on the head from the pump-handle which I had brought with

  me. In the meantime, Augustus seized one of the muskets lying on the

  floor now but three remaining; but by this time they had become

  aroused from their lethargy, and perhaps began to see that a

  deception had been practised upon them, for they fought with great

  resolution and fury, and, but for the immense muscular strength of

  Peters, might have ultimately got the better of us. These three men

  were -- Jones, -- Greely, and Absolom Hicks. Jones had thrown

  Augustus to the floor, stabbed him in several places along the right

  arm, and would no doubt have soon dispatched him (as neither Peters

  nor myself could immediately get rid of our own antagonists), had it

  not been for the timely aid of a friend, upon whose assistance we,

  surely, had never depended. This friend was no other than Tiger. With

  a low growl, he bounded into the cabin, at a most critical moment for

  Augustus, and throwing himself upon Jones, pinned him to the floor in

  an instant. My friend, however, was now too much injured to render us

  any aid whatever, and I was so encumbered with my disguise that I

  could do but little. The dog would not leave his hold upon the throat

  of Jones -- Peters, nevertheless, was far more than a match for the

  two men who remained, and would, no doubt, have dispatched them

  sooner, had it not been for the narrow space in which he had to act,

  and the tremendous lurches of the vessel. Presently he was enabled to

  get hold of a heavy stool, several of which lay about the floor. With

  this he beat out the brains of Greely as he was in the act of

  discharging a musket at me, and immediately afterward a roll of the

  brig throwing him in contact with Hicks, he seized him by the throat,

  and, by dint of sheer strength, strangled him instantaneously. Thus,

  in far less time than I have taken to tell it, we found ourselves

  masters of the brig.

  The only person of our opponents who was left alive was Richard

  Parker. This man, it will be remembered, I had knocked down with a

  blow from the pump-handle at the commencement of the attack. He now

  lay motionless by the door of the shattered stateroom; but, upon

  Peters touching him with his foot, he spoke, and entreated for mercy.

  His head was only slightly cut, and otherwise he had received nor />
  injury, having been merely stunned by the blow. He now got up, and,

  for the present, we secured his hands behind his back. The dog was

  still growling over Jones; but, upon examination, we found him

  completely dead, the blood issuing in a stream from a deep wound in

  the throat, inflicted, no doubt, by the sharp teeth of the animal.

  It was now about one o'clock in the morning, and the wind was

  still blowing tremendously. The brig evidently laboured much more

  than usual, and it became absolutely necessary that something should

  be done with a view of easing her in some measure. At almost every

  roll to leeward she shipped a sea, several of which came partially

  down into the cabin during our scuffle, the hatchway having been left

  open by myself when I descended. The entire range of bulwarks to

  larboard had been swept away, as well as the caboose, together with

  the jollyboat from the counter. The creaking and working of the

  mainmast, too, gave indication that it was nearly sprung. To make

  room for more stowage in the afterhold, the heel of this mast had

  been stepped between decks (a very reprehensible practice,

  occasionally resorted to by ignorant ship-builders), so that it was

  in imminent danger of working from its step. But, to crown all our

  difficulties, we plummed the well, and found no less than seven feet

  of water.

  Leaving the bodies of the crew lying in the cabin, we got to work

  immediately at the pumps- Parker, of course, being set at liberty to

  assist us in the labour. Augustus's arm was bound up as well as we

  could effect it, and he did what he could, but that was not much.

  However, we found that we could just manage to keep the leak from

  gaining upon us by having one pump constantly going. As there were

  only four of us, this was severe labour; but we endeavoured to keep

  up our spirits, and looked anxiously for daybreak, when we hoped to

  lighten the brig by cutting away the mainmast.

  In this manner we passed a night of terrible anxiety and fatigue,

  and, when the day at length broke, the gale had neither abated in the

  least, nor were there any signs of its abating. We now dragged the