grown up from childhood with him. When the first burst of grief had in a measure subsided, another feeling seemed to take possession of the minds of the younger part of the spectators. A slight movement was observed in the crowd, and a few whispers passed among the youthful part of the assembly. Suddenly, a powerful young man jumped from the wharf into the boat, and seized the culprit. He was thrown out upon the quay as if he had been a bundle of cork, and was surrounded in an instant by a guard of young men, who had already matured a plan of revenge upon him, for the death of their comrade. It was time for Seth to act. "What would you?" exclaimed he, springing to the side of the Indian: "would you commit murder, as he has done, and take his life without the sanction of law? Shame!--shame, young men-thus to forget yourselves! Leave him to the law, and to his punishment hereafter. Back!--back, I say!--Murderer as he is, I will protect him for the present, until he is delivered over to the authorities. Friends !-I call upon you all to aid me against this offered violence, which nothing There was a stir in the crowd, which plainly indicated that Seth was seconded. The middle-aged, and the elder portion of the people, came forward, with serious faces, to the assistance of the captain; and the excited young men retired, abashed, before this strong exhibition of the force of right moral feeling. The Indian, who seemed to be in considerable pain, from a wound received in the thigh, was led slowly towards the Town-house, and the crowd gathered after him as he proceeded. The body of Gardner was, in the mean time, conveyed to the house of his afflicted relatives; while such magistrates as Nantucket boasted of at that period assembled to take cognizance of the case. A universal gloom spread over the town at the report of the death of Harry, who, upon the eve of landing among his friends, was thus cut off by the hand of violence. The misfortunes of the ships, and the manner of Starbuck's untimely end, added, if possible, a stronger shade to the sadness which prevailed. A deep and unbroken silence was preserved after the magistrates had taken their seats; and the prisoner was arraigned to undergo his preliminary examination. When questioned, however, he would answer nothing; and he maintained his taciturnity, with the inflexible gravity and tact of an old offender. It became necessary, therefore, to summon other witnesses; and Imbert, who had seen the whole transaction, was called upon by name, and stood forth. He told the sad story in few but impressive words. "We had cast anchor last night," said he, "and our sails were furled, before the tragical event took place. The deed was done in the forecastle. I had thrown myself in my berth, after the fatigues of the day, and my example was followed by nearly all the crew who were not on duty. A lamp, suspended from a beam in the middle of the forecastle, was left burning. I had scarcely closed my eyes when I was disturbed by a noise of several of our Indians, who appeared to be quarrelling, for some cause which I did not understand. Among others I distinguished Quibby, the prisoner now before you. He had been a sulky, quarrelsome fellow during the whole voyage, and grumbled at the most reasonable duty. The noise of a general fight among the Indians awakened others of the crew, and several leaped from their hammocks, and interfered to part the combatants. I saw Harry Gardner dragging Quibby from the prostrate body of his antagonist, and the quarrel ceased; but Gardner had scarcely loosed his hold from the collar of the prisoner, before Quibby buried the blade of his jack-knife in the breast of the young man. Harry spoke not a word afterward, but fell dead upon the floor. The prisoner made a spring for the ladder to - escape, which possibly he might have done, being a capital swimmer; but there happened to be a lance standing at the side of my berth, which I had been putting in order,--and, without a moment's reflection, I let it drive at him, and pinned him to the bulkhead. He is wounded, as you may perceive, in the fleshy part of the thigh. I have nothing further to add, except to say that the whole scene took place in less than half the time that I have occupied in relating it." Imbert ceased. A buzz of approbation of his conduct ran through the assembly, and the young men of the town especially applauded him in their speech to each other. He became a favourite, at once, with all classes and ages; and when his entire conduct at sea, among the whales, and in the last melancholy affair, was better known to the people, there was none who stood higher in their general esteem than Julius Imbert. The Indian was ordered into confinement, to take his trial at a future day, before a high colonial tribunal. It was thus, sadly and disastrously, that the voyage of the young men terminated; and thus that the high hopes of Jethro Coffin and his captains were blasted. The predictions of Judith, the half-breed fortune-teller, were fearfully realized. CHAPTER XIII. See the cypress wreath of saddest hue, -I could wish That the first pillow whereon I was cradled Had proved to me a grave. FORD. TIME rolled on: Time,-that lays his hand gently upon us, that softens sudden affliction, and strews roses over the tomb of the ardently beloved. The shock of the melancholy tidings brought by the returned whale-ship was severe both to Ruth and Mary. Tears took the place of smiles; and solitude, for a time, that of the common gayety of youth. But the sorrow of no woman is immortal. There are but few modern instances of lasting grief equal in duration to that of the peerless Artemisia of old, whose tears flowed, and whose frame was enveloped in sorrowful weeds, even until Scopas and Briaxis, Leoshares and Timotheus, had built up the renowned tomb of Mausolus; and until the powder of his ashes, swallowed in morning bitters by his queen, had found a resting-place in a living sepulchre ! Imbert, as in duty bound, presented himself before Mary soon after his arrival, and told the story of his wanderings; but he forbore to press his suit, until the effect of his tragical relation had somewhat worn off. He was not, however, disappointed when he proposed himself in form, to find a ready acquiescence in his wishes. He had been obedient to the commands of his mistress, and had voyaged for whales at her behest; he had given the death-blow at least to one unwieldy monster—and that monster the destroyer of the devoted admirer of Mary's companion, Ruth Coffin. He had borne himself bravely, and had come back a thorough sailor in nautical knowledge, and had forgotten none of the accomplishments which had made him acceptable in the drawing-room. He had behaved honourably with his rival; and had, in his last extremity, secured the culprit who committed the murder. Imbert took care that all this should be well understood by Mary, before he ventured to claim her hand as the reward of his devotion. The heart of Mary and the promise of her hand were yielded, in maiden confidence, to one who appeared so true and so honourable; and she looked forward to a life of happiness with her admirer. Ruth Coffin possessed a mind of less elasticity than the gentler Mary Folger; and the loss of her lover sank deep into her heart. Grimshaw had, as yet, never declared himself to Ruth; but he always looked as if he was just on the point of doing so. There was something in her manner that froze up the words in his throat, and he dallied on from day to day. Ruth, from sheer spite, or perhaps for mischief, had given him many opportunities for making known the height and depth of his tenderness, for the wicked purpose of having the pleasure, once for all, of flatly denying him, and putting an end to his suit for ever. But he could never be brought to cross the Rubicon: he never told his love. He had lately risen somewhat in her favour, however, by the patient and active assiduity which he brought to bear in the entangled affairs of her mother, who, if any thing, had heretofore marred his suit, by always trumpeting his praises in the ears of her daughter. The death of Thomas Starbuck was the summing up of her youthful afflictions; and it was many months before she regained |