at once stepped forward, and in a clear voice
began: "My lords, and cap'ens, and gentlemen, I'll speak the truth and
nothing but the truth. I hated the notion of this here mutiny directly
I got an inkling of it, and so did my messmate Will Weatherhelm, and we
had made up our minds, if it was likely to come to anything, to get away
aft and tell the commander or first lieutenant; but when we was agoing,
quite unbeknown to us, before we had time to get on deck, the mutiny
broke out, the ladders were unshipped, an' we was kept prisoners. We
were both of us marked men, and when we again tried to join the officers
we was held back. Every one who has ever served with Weatherhelm knows
him to be a good seaman, and an orderly, well-conducted chap, who
wouldn't, for to get a pocketful of gold, have become a rascally
mutineer." The warrant and petty officers who were called, gave both
Hagger and me good characters, and his evidence appeared to weigh
greatly in my favour; still I could see that most of the members of the
court-martial considered it necessary to make an example of the whole of
those who had been captured, and one after the other the ringleaders
were condemned to death. Berkeley and Pratt fell on their knees on
hearing their sentence, and implored for mercy.

"It was through the treachery of that man that Wetherholm's signature
was obtained," said Captain Pakenham, pointing to the former; "I am not
inclined to grant him it."

The other members of the court were of his opinion.

Charles Iffley, though he had been the chief instigator of the mutiny,
was pardoned, in consequence of his having produced the paper with the
signature of the ringleaders. My fate still hung in the balance, for
Captain Pakenham alone seemed to consider me innocent. I saw my judges
conferring together. How my heart bounded with joy when the President
at length acquitted me!

Iffley cast a glance of disappointed spite towards me as he heard this,
and walked away. I was again a free man. My first act, after returning
thanks to Heaven from the bottom of my heart for my merciful
deliverance, was to obtain a sheet of paper, and write an account of
what had happened and my happy acquittal to Uncle Kelson, and beg him to
break the matter to my wife, for I was afraid that she would be overmuch
agitated should I address her directly.

Several boats were returning to the shore, and I, without difficulty,
got a man I knew to take it. The