at last achieved their desired effect,
and the spirits of the men began to rise, one of the most reckless of
them proposed that the ladies should be invited to grace the revel with
their presence. The proposal was received with acclamation, and the
unhappy women were forthwith ordered into the saloon. The poor
terrified creatures at first made no response, hoping that if no notice
were taken of them the intoxicated mutineers would forget all about
them, and leave them in peace. But this hope was of short duration, for
the mutineers, drinking deep and rapidly, soon grew excited, and,
finding their repeated demands of no avail, staggered to their feet,
and, breaking open the state-room doors, dragged forth their victims,
compelling them to seat themselves at the same table and partake with
them of the liquor with which it was bountifully supplied. The scene
which followed is simply too shameful for detailed description. The
men, inflamed by drink and rendered reckless by a feeling which none of
them could entirely shake off--that they had already offended past all
forgiveness--speedily grew more and more outrageous in their behaviour,
until the orgie became one of such unbridled licence that one of the
ladies--the young and lovely wife of one of the passengers imprisoned in
the forecastle--in her desperation drew a pistol from the belt of the
man nearest her, and, quickly cocking it, placed the muzzle to her
breast, pulled the trigger, and sank upon the saloon floor a corpse,
shot through the heart.

This second fatality, more sudden if possible than the first, brought
the unholy revel to an abrupt conclusion; the mutineers, thoroughly
horrified at the occurrence, notwithstanding their drunken condition,
staggering to their feet with one accord, and making the best of their
way out on deck, where they sought to sober themselves by plunging their
heads into buckets of water.

Having to some extent succeeded in this endeavour, they next bethought
themselves of the desirability of putting the ship to rights. It was
still blowing very heavily, and the sea was higher than ever--
dangerously so indeed, as the ship had more than once narrowly escaped
being pooped--but the sky looked a trifle less wild than before, and the
glass was rising. Rogers therefore determined, as a first step, to get
up a new foresail, bend, and set it. The sail-room was accordingly
opened, and then, in pursuance of their resolution to do as lit