No. 5 The Adventure of the Gloria Scott by Arthur Conan Doyle
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obtained huge sums of money from_the leading London merchants .

"'"Ha, ha ! you remember my case ! " said he proudly .

"'" very_well, indeed ."

"'" then maybe you remember something queer about_it ? "

"'" what_was that, then ? "

"'"I'd had nearly a quarter of a million, hadn't I ? "

"'" so it_was said ."

"'" but none was recovered, eh ? "

"'" no ."

"'" well, where d' ye suppose the balance is ? " he asked .

"'" I_have no idea," said I .

"'" right between my finger and thumb," he cried ." by god ! I've go more pounds to my name than you've hairs on_your head . and if_you've money, my son, and know how to handle it and spread it, you_can do anything . now, you don't think it likely that a man who_could do anything is going to wear his breeches out sitting in_the stinking hold of a rat-gutted, beetle- ridden, mouldy old coffin of a chin china coaster . no, sir, such a man will look after himself and will look after his chums . you_may lay to_that ! you hold on to him, and you_may kiss the book that he'll haul you through ."

"' that was his style of talk, and at first i_thought it meant nothing; but after a while, when he had tested me and sworn me in with all possible solemnity, he let me understand that there really was a plot to gain command of_the vessel .a dozen of_the prisoners had hatched it before_they came aboard, Prendergast was_the leader, and_his money was_the motive power .

"'"I'd a partner," said he, "a rare good man, as true as a stock to a barrel . he's got the dibbs, he has, and where do_you_think he_is at_this moment ? why, he's the chaplain of_this ship-- the chaplain, no less ! he_came aboard with a black coat, and_his papers right, and money enough in_his box to_buy the thing right up from keel to main- truck . the crew are his, body and soul . he_could buy 'em at so_much a gross with a cash discount, and he_did it before ever they signed on . he's got two of_the warders and Mereer, the second mate, and he'd get the captain himself, if he thought him worth it ."

"'" what_are we to_do, then ? " I asked .

"'" what do_you_think ? " said he ." we'll make_the coats of some_of_these soldiers redder than ever the tailor did ."

"'" but they_are armed," said I .

"'" and so shall we be, my boy . there's a brace of pistols for every mother's son of us, and if_we_can't carry this ship, with_the crew at our back, it's time we were all sent to a young misses' boarding- school . you speak to your mate upon_the left to- night, and_see if he is_to_be trusted ."

"' I_did so, and found my other neighbour to_be a young fellow in much the same position as myself, whose crime had_been forgery . his name was Evans, but he afterwards changed it, like myself, and_his is now a rich and prosperous man in_the south of England . he_was ready enough to join the conspiracy, as_the only means of saving ourselves, and before we had crossed the Bay there were only two of_the prisoners who were_not in_the secret . one_of_these was of weak mind, and we_did_not dare to trust him, and_the other was suffering from jaundice, and could_not_be of any use to_us .

"' from_the beginning there_was really nothing to_prevent us from taking possession of_the ship . the crew were a set of ruffians, specially picked for_the job . the sham chaplain came into our cells to exhort us, carrying a black bag, supposed to_be full of tracts, and so often did he come that by_the third day we had each stowed away at_the foot of_our beds a file, a brace of pistols, a pound of powder, and twenty slugs . two of_the warders were agents of Prendergast, and_the second mate was his right- hand man . the captain, the two mates, two warders lieutenant Martin, his eighteen soldiers, and_the doctor were all that we had against us . yet, safe as it_was, we determined to neglect no precaution, and to_make our attack suddenly by night . it came, however, more quickly than we expected, and in_this_way .

"' one evening, about_the third week after our start, the doctor had come down to_see one_of_the prisoners who was ill, and putting his hand down on_the bottom of_his bunk he_felt the outline of_the pistols . if he had_been silent he_might_have blown the whole thing, but he_was a nervous little chap, so he_gave a cry of surprise and turned so pale that_the man knew what_was up in an instant and seized him . he_was gagged before he_could give the alarm, and tied down upon_the bed . he had unlocked the door that led to_the deck, and we were through it in a rush . the two sentries were shot down, and so was a corporal who came running to_see what_was the matter . there were two more soldiers at_the door of_the state- room, and their muskets seemed not to_be loaded, for they never fired upon us, and_they were shot while trying to fix their bayonets . then we rushed on into_the captain's cabin, but as_we pushed open the door there_was an explosion from within, and there he lay wit his brains smeared over the chart of_the Atlantic which_was pinned upon_the table, while the chaplain stood with asmoking pistol in_his hand at his elbow . the two mates had both been seized by_the crew, and_the whole business seemed to_be settled .

"' the state- room was next the cabin, and we flocked in there and flopped down on_the settees, all speaking together, for we were just mad with_the feeling that we were free once more . there were lockers all round, and Wilson, the sham chaplain, knocked one_of_them in, and pulled out a dozen of brown sherry . we cracked off the necks of_the bottles, poured the stuff out into tumblers, and were just tossing them off, when in an instant without warning there came the roar of muskets in_our ears, and_the saloon was so full of smoke that we could_not_see across the table . when it cleared again the place was ashambles . Wilson and eight others were wriggling on_the top of each_other on_the floor, and_the blood and_the brown sherry on_that table turn me sick now when i_think of it . we were so cowed by_the sight that i_think we_should_have given the job up if had_not_been for Prendergast . he bellowed like a bull and rushed for_the door with all that were left alive at his heels . out we ran, and there on_the poop were the lieutenant and ten of_his men . the swing skylights above the saloon table had_been a bit open, and_they had fired on us through_the slit . we got on them before_they could load, and_they stood to_it like men; but we had the upper hand of_them, and in five minutes it_was all over . my god ! was there ever a slaughter- house like that ship ! Predergast was like araging devil, and he picked the soldiers up as if_they had_been children and threw them overboard alive or dead . there_was one sergeant that was horribly wounded and yet kept on swimming for asurprising time, until some one in mercy blew out his brains . when_the fighting was over there_was no one left of_our enemies except just the warders the mates, and_the doctor .

"' it_was over them that_the great quarrel arose . there were many of us who were glad enough to win back our freedom, and yet who had no wish to_have murder on_our souls . it_was one_thing to knock the soldiers over with their muskets in their hands, and it_was another to stand by while men were being killed in cold blood .Eight of us, five convicts and three sailors, said that we_would_not see it done . but there_was no moving Predergast and those who were with_him . our only chance of safety lay in making a clean job of it, said he, and he_would_not leave a tongue with power to wag in a witness- box . it nearly came to our sharing the fate of_the prisoners, but at last he_said that if_we wished we_might take a boat and go . we jumped at_the offer, for we were already sick of_these bloodthirsty doings, and we saw that there would_be worse before it was_done . we were given a suit of sailor togs each, a barrel of water, two casks, one of junk and one of biscuits, and a compass .Prendergast threw us over a chart, told us that we were shipwrecked mariners whose ship had foundered in Lat .15 degrees and long 25 degrees west, and then cut the painter and_let_us go .

"' and now I come to_the most surprising part of_my story, my dear son . the seamen had hauled the fore- yard aback during the rising, but now as_we left them they brought it square again, and as_there_was a light wind from_the north and east the bark began to draw slowly away from_us . our boat lay, rising and falling, upon_the long, smooth rollers, and Evans and I, who were the most educated of_the party, were sitting in_the sheets working out our position and planning what coast we_should make for . it_was a nice question, for_the cape de Verds were about five hundred miles to_the north of us, and_the African coast about seven hundred to_the east . on_the whole, as_the wind was coming round to_the north, we thought that sierra Leone might_be best, and turned our head in_that direction, the bark being at_that_time nearly hull down on_our starboard quarter . suddenly as_we looked at her we saw a dense black cloud of smoke shoot up from her, which hung like a monstrous tree upon_the sky line .a few seconds later a roar like thunder burst upon our ears, and as_the smoke thinned away there_was no sign left of_the Gloria Scott . in an instant we swept the boat's head round again and pulled with all our strength for_the place where the haze still trailing over the water marked the scene of_this catastrophe .

"' it_was a long hour before we reached it, and at first we feared that we had come too late to save any_one .a splintered boat and a number of crates and fragments of spars rising and falling on_the waves showed us where the vessel had foundered; but there_was no sign o life, and we had turned away in despair when we heard a cry for help, and saw at some distance a piece of wreckage with a man lying stretched across it . when we pulled him aboard the boat he proved to_be a young seaman of_the name of Hudson, who was so burned and exhausted that he_could give_us no account of what had happened until the following morning .

"' it seemed that after we had left, Prendergast and_his gang had proceeded to_put to death the five remaining prisoners . the two warders had_been shot and thrown overboard, and so also had the third mate .Prendergast then descended into_the 'tween-decks and with_his own hands cut the throat of_the unfortunate surgeon . there only remained the first mate, who was a bold and active man . when he_saw the convict approaching him with_the bloody knife in_his hand he kicked off his bonds, which he had somehow contrived to loosen, and rushing down the deck he plunged into_the after- hold .a dozen convicts, who descended wit their pistols in search of him, found him with a match- box in_his hand seated beside an open powder- barrel, which_was one of a hundred carried on board, and swearing that he_would blow all hands up if he were in any_way molested . an instant later the explosion occurred, though Hudson thought it_was caused by_the misdirected bullet of one_of_the convicts rather than_the mate's match . be the cause what I_may, it was_the end of_the Gloria Scott and of_the rabble who held command of her .

"' such, in a few words, my dear boy, is_the history of_this terrible business in_which i_was involved . next_day we were picked up by_the brig Hotspur, bound for Australia, whose captain found no difficulty in believing that we were the survivors of a passenger ship which had foundered . the transport ship Gloria Scott was set down by_the admiralty as being lost at sea, and no word has ever leaked out as_to her true fate . after an excellent voyage the Hotspur landed us at Sydney, where Evans and I changed our names and made our way to_the diggings, where, among_the crowds who were gathered from all nations, we had no difficulty in losing our former identities . the rest I_need not relate . we prospered, we travelled, we came back as rich colonials to England, and we bought country estates . for more than twenty years we_have led peaceful and useful lives, and we hoped that_our past was forever buried . imagine, then, my feelings when in_the seaman who came to_us I recognised instantly the man who had_been picked off the wreck . he had tracked us down somehow, and had set himself to live upon our fears . you_will understand now how it was_that I strove to_keep the peace with_him, and you_will in some measure sympathise with me in_the fears which fill me, now that he has gone from me to_his other victim with threats upon his tongue .'

" underneath is written in a hand so shaky as to_be hardly legible, 'Beddoes writes in cipher to_say H . has told all . sweet lord, have mercy on_our souls ! '

" that was_the narrative which I_read that night to young Trevor, and i_think, Watson, that under the circumstances it_was a dramatic one . the good fellow was heart- broken at it, and went out to_the Terai tea planting, where I hear that he_is doing well . as_to_the sailor and Beddoes, neither of_them was ever heard of again after_that day on_which the letter of warning was written . they both disappeared utterly and completely . no complaint had_been lodged with he police, so_that Beddoes had mistaken a threat for a deed . Hudson had_been seen lurking about, and it_was believed by_the police that he had done away with Beddoes and had fled . for_myself I believe that_the truth was exactly the opposite . i_think that_it_is most probable that Beddoes, pushed to desperation and believing himself to_have_been already betrayed, had revenged himself upon Hudson, and had fled from_the country with as_much money as he_could lay his hands on . those are the facts of_the case, doctor, and if_they_are of any use to your collection, I_am_sure that_they_are very heartily at your service ."

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