The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 390: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE MYSTERIES. with you,” returned the skipper, taking the seat which the Magsman officiously vacated for his ac- ecommodation: then, pulling off his hat and unbut- toning his heavy pea-jacket, he said, “ This is the eleventh voyage I’ve made in this here boat across the Atlantic without any mishap—and so Ili drink success to the present wentur’.” * And we'll jine in,” observed the Big Beggarman, catching the rapid glance of terrible significancy which the Magsman at the same moment darted opon him. “Well, here’s success, then,” said the captain, raising to his lips the tumbler which Joe Warren had filled with grog for his behoof. “I shall drink that toast in a bumper,” ex- elimed the Beggarman, helping himself to a copious supply of the rum. “And sv will J,” said the Magsman, receiving the bottle from his friend’s hand. But, quick as thought,—and as if suddenly obey- ing a galvanic impulse,—Joe Warren grasped the bottle by the neck and raised it above his head as if i¢ were a short club. The captain perceived the movement in an instant —saw the intended treachery —and sprang to his feet, —thus encounter- ing as it were half.way the tremendous blow which the ruffian dealt him with the bottle. Crash it de- scended upon the seaman’s head—and into a thou- sand pieces it flew. A cry burst from the victim's lips, as he staggered back, the blood pouring down his face and blinding him with its sanguine flood: and, altnough half stunned, he mechanically thrust one hand into the inner pocket of his pea- jacket to clutch a pistol. But, like a tiger springing upon its prey from the thicket of an Indian jungle—or asthe boa-constrictor flings itself from a bough on the traveller passing beneath—did the Magsman rush upon tlie doomed mariner. Down they fell together, a savage growl escaping from Joe Warren’s breast; and at the sa:ne moment the Big Beggarman, falling on his knees, fixed his iron grasp upon the captain's throat. Like two demons did the murderers appear as they did their awful work,—one keeping the victim down, despite of his desperate struggies and agonised writhings—the other throttling him in his savage gripe,—the former gnashing his teeth and foaming at the mouth with the ferocious excitement of the deed—the latter with compressed lips and corrugated brows indicating all the tremendous power of the muscular energy which his entire frame furnished to accomplish the task of strangulation. And in the meantime the roar of the tempeat had recommenoed; and the terrors of the storm were added to the horrors of that foul iniquity. "Twas done: and the captain lay lifeless on the cabin-floor—his countenanoe livid and blue—his eyes starting from their bloody sockets. Springing to their feet when they were assured that the death-struggle was ended, the two mur- derers took possession of their victim’s pistola. Then they opened one of the stern-windows; and, raising the corpse between them, they thrust it forth into the ocean which was now lashing itself up into foaming fury. The waters sucked in the dead body —and at the same instant a tremendous wave beat inst the stern of the vesscl. ‘l'o draw down the wooden lids protecting the ports in which tne win- dows were set, was now the work of a few moments with the Magsman and the Big Beggarman; and having done this, their eyes met with looks of savage triumph, as they saw in the assassination of the captain the accomplishment of the first and most important step in their grand nefarious scheme. ‘Now, Stephen,” said the Magsman, as he ex- amined the priming of the pistols and assured hiin- self that it was quite dry—the great rongh coat of the captain having effeetually defended the weapons from the spray which had beaten over their owner when he was alive and performing his duty upon the deck,—“ now, Stephen, you must go up above and play your part as already agreed on.” “ I understand, old feller,” responded the Big Beg- garman, putting on his hat as firmly as possible so as to encounter the fury of the gale: then, having tossed off a dram of raw spirit, he quitted the cabin, closing the door Kehind him. On ascending to the deck, the atmosphere was at first so dark that the Big Beggarman could dis- tinguish nothing: all seemed black as if the air were a solid mass of pitch. But in a few moments his eyes began to grow accustomed to that dense ob- scurity; and the masts, spars, and cordage gradually stood out in lines of jet against the inky sky. The forms of the seamen appeared like black objects of uncouth shape; and the bulwarks of the vessel stretched forward on either side until they seemed lost in the darkness at the farther extremity. The wind was howling, sweeping, and roaring in all the variations of its voice of terror: the spray beat over the deck—and the motion of the ship was so great thatthe Big Beggarman would have speedily lost his balance had he not in the first instance clung toa rope, aud then made a rush as it were to the main-mast. Unobserved by the sailors, who were bustling about performing the orders issued from the lips of the first mate, the Big Beggarman hastily secured under his coat all the cutlasses which were kept ina rack upon the after-deck. He then availed himself of a temporary lull in the hurricane to make his way up to the spot where the chief mate was stand- ing; and ina tone of apparent frankness and haste, he said, “The captain has been taken suddenly ill down in the cabin, sir, and wants to speak to you directly.” “The deuce! what’s the matter with him?” de- manded the chief mate. “ He was seized with a shivering all over and fell down in a sort of fit," was the Big Beggarman’s ready response. “ But he’s rallied a little by having rum poured down his throat —and now he wants to speak to you.” The mate, totally unsuspicious of treachery, in- stantly summoned Mr. Watkins, asubordinate offi- cer, whom he ordered to take charge of the ship fora few minutes; and he then hastened down the com- panion-ladder, the Big Beggarman following close behind him. Opening the door, he entered the cabin: but scarcely had he crossed the threshold, when he was knocked down by a huge bludgeon which the Magsman had obtained by breaking off the leg of a stool. The Big Beggarman rushed in —shut the door behind him—and, drawing a cutlass, made a desperate sweep with the trenchant blade at the unfortunate officer as he was starting up from the floor. A yell of agony rang from the victim's lips,—a yell which reached not the ears of those on deck, or, if it did, was mistaken for oue of the thou- sand tones in which the voice of the tempest speaks 376 COMGLOO S COMM