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Updated: June 6, 2025
The gloom of the night, and the tragic scenes of the day, seemed to give character to my dreams, for they were dark and hideous, and so terribly vivid, that I several times awoke strangely agitated. At one time I saw Luerson, with a countenance of supernatural malignity, and the expression of a fiend, murdering poor Frazer.
The next moment they were under her bows; just as their oars flew into the air, we could hear a deep voice from the deck, sternly ordering them to "keep off," and I thought that I could distinguish Captain Erskine standing near the bowsprit. The mutineers gave no heed to the order; several of them sprang into the chains, and Luerson among the rest.
Luerson merely glanced back at us, as he once more heard the dash of our oars; but he took no farther notice of us: the crisis was too close at hand. On board the ship all seemed quiet. Some of the men were gathered together on the starboard bow, apparently engaged in fishing; they did not seem to notice the approach of the boats.
Browne was bound to the main-mast, while Luerson and his fiendish crew were exhausting their ingenuity in torturing him. The peculiar expression of his mild, open countenance, distorted by pain, went to my heart, and the sound of that familiar and friendly voice, now hoarse and broken, and quivering with agony, thrilled me with horror.
But now Luerson sprang up once more in the bow of the long-boat, and presented towards us the weapon with which he had a moment before threatened us; and this time it was no idle menace. A puff of smoke rose from the muzzle of the piece, and, just as the sharp report reached our ears, Browne uttered a quick exclamation of pain, and let fall his oar.
Pointing from the bleeding corpse at his feet, to Luerson, he said `There is the ringleader shoot him through the head at once, and that will finish the matter otherwise we shall all be murdered fire, I will answer for the act? "Frazer seemed to comprehend the situation of things at a glance.
As Knight grappled with Luerson, he dropped the knife which he had wrested from Atoa, his intention evidently being to secure, and not to kill him. "Atoa immediately leaped forward and seized the knife, and had his arm already raised to stab Mr Knight in the back, when Frazer shot him dead.
"Luerson is just the man to do it," answered Morton; "the faithful fellow has stood by the captain, and that will seal his fate look! it is as I said," and I could see some one pointing, what was doubtless Mr Frazer's fowling-piece, at the figure in the foretop. A parley seemed to follow; as the result of which, the fugitive came down and surrendered himself.
"All a trick," said Morton; "don't waste any breath with them;" and we bent to the oars with new energy. "The young scamps mean to give the alarm," I could hear Luerson mutter with an oath, as he surveyed, for a moment, the interval between the two boats, and then the distance to the point.
As he besought his tormentors to kill him at once, I thought that I kneeled to Luerson, and seconded the entreaty the greatest favour that could be hoped from him. The rest of us were doomed to walk the plank. Morton was stern and silent; Max pale and sorrowful; his arm was round my neck, and he murmured that life was sweet, and that it was a hard and terrible thing to die to die so!
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