"What do we want? Why, we want no more captains; we are all
equals now."
Poor stupid fool! as though misery and privation had not already
reduced us all to the same level.
"Owen," said the captain once, again, "down with your arms!"
"Come on, all,of you," shouted Owen to his companions, without
giving the slightest heed to Curtis's words.
A regular struggle ensued. Owen and Wilson attacked Curtis, who
defended himself with a piece of a spar; Burke and Flaypole
rushed upon Falsten and the boatswain, whilst I was left to
confront the negro Jynxtrop, who attempted to strike me with the
hammer which he brandished in his hand. I endeavoured to
paralyze his movements by pinioning his arms, but the rascal was
my superior in muscular strength. After wrestling for a few
moments, I felt that he was getting the mastery over me when all
of a sudden he rolled over on to the platform, dragging me with
him. Andre Letourneur had caught hold of one of his legs, and
thus saved my life. Jynxtrop dropped his weapon in his fall; I
seized it instantly, and was about to cleave the fellow's skull,
when I was myself arrested by Andre's hand upon my arm.
By this time the mutineers had been driven back to the forepart
of the raft, and Curtis, who had managed to parry the blows which
had been aimed at him, had caught hold of a hatchet, with which
he was preparing to strike at Owen. But Owen made a sidelong
movement to avoid the blow, and the weapon caught Wilson full in
the chest.
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