The Lonely Island | Page 4

vacantly
out upon the sea, was Matthew Quintal. To him Christian revealed his
hastily adopted plan of seizing the ship, and asked if he would join him.
Quintal was what men call a deep villain. He was quite ripe for mutiny,
but from some motive known only to himself he held back, and
expressed doubt as to the possibility of carrying out the plan.
"I did not expect to find cowardice in you," said Christian, with a look
of scornful indignation.
"It is not cowardice, sir," retorted Quintal. "I will join if others do. Try
some one else. Try Martin there, for instance."
Isaac Martin was a raw-boned, sallow, six-foot man of about thirty,
who had been undeservedly flogged by Bligh. Christian went to him at
once, and put the question, "Will you join me in taking the ship?"
"The very thing, Mr Christian. I'm with you," answered Martin,
promptly.
The eager readiness of this man at once decided Quintal. Christian then
went to every man in his watch, all of whom had received more or less

harsh treatment from the Captain, and most of whom were more than
willing to join the conspirators. Those who hesitated, whatever might
have been their motives, had not sufficient regard for their commander
to warn him of his danger. Perhaps the very suddenness of the proposal,
as well as fear of the mutineers, induced them to remain silent. In
passing along the deck Christian encountered a man named William
Brown. He was assistant-botanist, or gardener, to the expedition, and
having been very intimate with Christian, at once agreed to join him.
Although a slenderly made young man, Brown was full of vigour and
resolution.
"We must look sharp," said Christian to him, in that low eager whisper
in which the conversation among the mutineers had hitherto been
carried on. "It will soon be daylight. You know the men as well as I do.
Go below and gain over those whom you feel sure of influencing. Don't
waste your time on the lukewarm or cowardly. Away with you. Here,
Williams," he added, turning to another man who was already in the
plot, "go below and send up the gunner's mate, I want him; then call
John Adams,--I feel sure that Reckless Jack will join; but do it softly.
No noise or excitement."
In a few seconds John Mills, the gunner's mate, a strongly-built
middle-aged man, came on deck, and agreeing at once to join, was sent
to fetch the keys of the arm-chest from the armourer, under pretence of
getting out a musket to shoot a shark which was alongside.
Meanwhile John Williams went to the hammock of John Adams and
roused him.
"I don't half like it," said Adams, when he was sufficiently awake to
understand the message of his mate. "It's all very true what you say,
Williams; the ship has been little better than a hell since we left
Spithead, and Captain Bligh don't deserve much mercy, but mutiny is
wrong any way you look at it, and I've got my doubts whether any
circumstances can make it right."
The reasoning of Adams was good, but his doubts were cleared away,
if not solved, by the abrupt entrance of Christian, who went to the

arm-chest just opposite Adams's hammock and began to distribute arms
to all the men who came for them. Seeing this, and fearing to be left on
the weaker side, Adams rose, armed himself with a cutlass, and went on
deck.
The morning of the 28th of April was now beginning to dawn. Before
that the greater part of the ship's company had been gained over and
armed; yet all this was done so quietly and with such firmness that the
remainder of the crew were ignorant of what was going on. No doubt a
few who might have given the alarm were afraid to do so. Among those
who were asleep was one deserving of special notice, namely, Peter
Heywood, a midshipman who was true as steel at heart, but whose
extreme youth and inexperience, coupled with the surprise and alarm of
being awakened to witness scenes of violence, produced a condition of
inaction which resulted in his being left, and afterwards classed, with
the mutineers.
Shortly after five o'clock the armed men streamed quietly up the
fore-hatch and took possession of the deck. Sentinels were placed
below at the doors of the officers' berths, and above at the hatchways.
Then Fletcher Christian, John Adams, Matthew Quintal, William
McCoy, Isaac Martin, and several others went aft, armed with muskets,
bayonets, and cutlasses. Leaving Martin in charge of the quarter-deck,
they descended to Captain Bligh's cabin.
The commander of the Bounty, all ignorant of the coming storm which
his ungentlemanly and cruel conduct had raised, was sleeping calmly in
his