The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-11-24 00:00:00

[LW/RIGHTS RESERVED.]
EVE AT THE WHEEL.

t

3. MANVILLE FENN.
+thor e "'Ship Ahoy," "Dutch, the Diver,r? " The
Founds' Belle,"
-e , • .._,
,
. . CHAPTER XXXIII.--(Continued).
.;They were d fierce-looking set, with their bodies
*gely tattooed and painted; but in the excite-
vat of the moment, though the curious moaning
sigh seemed to run along the ranks of the women
again, they stood firth and Helston felt a thrill of
plfasure, as he knew that it was the example set that
kelit them so steady in such a time of need.
' Directly the savages stopped short, a couple of
them, evidently chiefs, ran to and fro, talking and
gesticulating, furiously throwing their arms aloft,
.. and their address was answered by a diabolical yell
" Only to frighten us," said Heiden, ',turning to
his followers, "and we are not a bit dismayed,. Now,
;-- girls, when they do come, think eVeiy one' 'of you
that you possess the muscles of a man, and strike
hard or your lives."
There was a muttered response toy this, and lid-
ton turned to Laurent on his right, Who had a tre-
mendous stake in his hands, with a fire-hardened
• point like iron.
, "Bring one man down, whatever you do,
, Laurent," he said. .
' Lauient nodded. .
f' I'll answer for two at least," he said quietly.
i Helston turned to 'Thello' and saw the black !wipe
the blood from his forehead with one hand, look at
'- it, and then in place of being dismayed, show all
[his white teeth in an ugly grin as he rolled up the
- fragment of a shirt sleeve on his right arm, grasped
his knife firmly and exclaimed—
"Look out, some ob you dere—l teach you cut
colour genlum ober de head."
There was so much hesitation now evinced by the
savages that Helston felt that a bold attack on his
part would carry the day. But he had not tried his
Amazons, and he hesitated to alter their strong for-
mation for one which would throw them more open
ti attack.
- --,_.'ln fact, at one time the savages seemed disposed
- -to beat a retreat; but this phase did not last long,
-
a ' at last they uttered another yell, hurled half a
den spears, and came on.
,
elston knew that this discharge had not been
without effect, for there was a shrill cry behind him
as a spear whizzed by his ear, and a low groan.
One spear, however, that was low aimed, stuck in
the ground by Laurent's legs, and dropping his
stake, he seized the weapon, turning its point against
the attacking party.
The savages followed their spears with a fierce
veil and a rush, and then all was confusion.
. As to leading or directing, Helston forgot all that
- on the instant—he only recalled the fact that a ter-
rible fate awaited Grace Monroe if these wretches
were not beaten off; and for the next ten minutes
his sole thought was to slay, as he wielded with ter-
rible force the keen-edged axe.
At the first onslaught, tha savage who rushed
straight at him received the full force of Helston's
blow on his shield, which the axe cet through, and
so horribly mutilated the man's arm that he fled
shrieking away.
At the second swing of the axe, it encountered the
stem of a war-elub, which it drove back full on it.
holder's face,"and the man rolled over, stunned.
Helston's next blow was more dire :.,n its effecs ;
for, as he received a stroke from a waddy, the a\ e
caught the striker full on the temple, crashed with
- awful violence into his skull, and, as he fell, the
Iyoung man had to plant his foot on his deal enemy's
face while he wrenched it out.
4. Laurent had done his best too for the defence,
transfixing one enemy, and severely wounding
'l* another; while 'Thello leaped about like a demon,
cutting, stabbing, and dealing direful mischief
amongst his foes.
This was just in the centre of the fray. Right
and left of the leaders a terrible conflict had gone
on, for the savages had leaped at the women like
demons; and though the poor girls had fought
bravely, as the prostrate bodies of several savages
showed—these being, for the most part, writhing in
agony from stabs in the face and eyes, delivered by
the pointed stakes—several women lay severely
wounded, and the savages were attacking the others
, with full prospect of obtaining an easy victory, so
much better were they armed.
In the attack the women had been driven lack
1 twenty or thirty yards, and they now fought back
1 to back, resisting the savages, who ran round them,
, making fierce thrusts with their spears.
. But now that they had lid themselves of their
I own immediate enemies the three men rushed to
1 their help, and at the first charge as many savages
t went down; then Holston cut down a couple more,
1 Laurent transfixed another, breaking his spear, and
ilwresting a war-club from his enemy, while "Mello
engaged in a hand-to-hand conflict with a burly
savage, the result, born,
, till they fell.
This changed the state of affairs, for, seeing Ea
many of their companions fall, the rest of the
attacking party turned and fled towards their
~. izanoeis.
"After them !" roared' Rolston, starting in
Varsuit.
And the women uttered a shrill cry, and took up
the chase, driving their enemies before them.
As they neared the canoes, Laurent uttered a cry
of warning; for about twenty more savages, who
had been watching the prisoners they had taken,
started into sight from round the point, and prepared
to help their discomfited comrades.
. -" On—on ! " roared Helston, waving his axe,
And at that moment, 'Thello, who had rid himself
of his adversary by a stab, came running swiftly to
the front, with all his- savage blood rising to his
head, and as the flying savages disordered their
• friends by their headlong rush, the panic was in-
creased by the fierce attack of the three men, who
each struck down an enemy.
The overthrow was completed by the women, who,
now mad with excitement, rushed upon their foes,
causing so great a panic that a rush was made for
the canoes, the savages scrambling in and forcing
them through the breakers paddling for their lives,
and leaving not only half their number, but a couple
of their canoes behind.
" Quick !" cried Helston ; "bows—arrows!" .
Before, however, these could be brought into use
the savages were out of range, and were paddling
away with all their might, without apparently a
thought of those who were left behind.

- f•r.,

t •

being Limb taitly ulubed am' wresuat -I ----Thum,

with a shudder, "that you killed these poor wretcnes
in cold blond ?"

"No, sah, I kill 'em all in hot- blood, 'cause I in
dreflle, md, sabbage passion, sah."
"Oh, 'Theno, this is too horrible !" said Hel-
ston.

" You Vink urn horrible, sah— eh sah ? You put
your finger on dat (,ut in dis chile head, -Enid todcr'
finger in opem hole in urn sollur. I tirik clat berry
horrible, .too. It make dis coloured puSson tink
.about fight when he boy, and de 5r kill, Et nd burn,
and sell for slabe ;- and when he get tink
all de b:ood run in urn eyes, and he see red, and den
he go kill all he can."

'But your wounded enemies, "Thellor trieu
lielston.

" 'Thello no ask de sabbage rascal conie to island,
and try kill ebbery body here, sah. If dey come and
kick up bobbery, dey muss take de consekens."
"Nothing excuses this murder in cold blood,
3Thello," said Helston, turning away, and hurrying
to the women.

"I tell um on'y just now, Mass' Laurent, dat I no
kill urn in cold blood; but when I in trelnenjus
passilun, hot as hot—hot as de lava dere—l on'i- kill
urn quick, so dey not die slow. Mass' doctor dere
nebber tink any harm chop down de fellah wid dat
chopper he got, eh
"But these men were helpless," said Laurent.
"Some on 'em—some were berry fierce, indeed,
and not want to be kill at all. But say, Mass'
Laurent, sah, 'pose I no kill de sabbages, and you
come and take em prisoners what you do wiv urn—
keep urn , quiet, eh! 'Pose dey all rise up and kill
eberybody ? Dat berry pleasant Ving, sah—eh,
sah

Laurent was as much horrified as his friend at the
1.2,-„ck's act, but he could not help acknowledging to
himself that, by the course taken, they had been
saved from a terrible responsibility and trouble.
"We nebbah ask dem to come here, sah, and pull
de island to piece. No, sah, not at at all," continued
the black, indignantly. "It all berry fine Mass'
Helkon get on high horse, and call names; but if
dese common trash come here killin' people, dey
must take de consekens. Look dere, sah," he cried,
excitedly, as he pointed to the prostrate figure of
one of the women; " boofie lilly woman killed wid
'pear. 'Noder boofle lilly woman got brain knock
out. Two ob dem, too, berry bad hurt; look at
dem—doctor hardly know what to do. Mass' Lau-
rent, sah, I did kill some ob de ruffyums who come
and do all dis ; and Mass' Helston go call name for
ebber, he no make me sorry for um. _ _ _

The greater part of this discourse was addressed
to the air, for Laurent had hastened to Helston's
asshitance ; and now many of the women had come
up to lend their aid.
As 'Thello said, two of the women were:dead, and
there were two badly wounded.
One of the dead had been killed by the first flight
of spears, while the other had received a fearful club
blow in the melee.

One of the wounded had received her injury, too,
in the first flight of the spears, as she stood close
hind Helston. It was the spear, in fact, that whizzsd
by his ear; but the poor girl bore her pain without
a murmur, as did her companion, who was verymuch
injured by the savages' spears.
They were carried carefully into their camping
ground, where a score of willing hands were ready
to nurse, Grace Monroe being among the first to
make preparations for the wounded.
And now, while sick at heart, and with everything
swimming before him, Helston finished bandaging
their injuries; one by one he had to attend to quit:3
a dozen more wounded girls, who, kept up hereto-
fore by the excitement, now kept fainting or stagger-
ing up for their injuries to be seen to.
Laurent tried to help the doctor; but at the first
trial he fainted, and was glad to lie down on the
sand, waiting for his own turn to come.
Had it not been for Mary Dance, who proved
herself well worthy of the post of surgeon, it
would have gone hard with some of the suffering
girls; but, on seeing the state of affairs, she called.
Grace Monroe to her side, and they improvised ban-
dages, roughly tied up wounds in a temporary
manner till the doctor could attend to them, besides
setting others to contrive resting-places for the
wounded, and supply them with fruit and water to
quell the fever that parched their lips.
The last patient being attended to—the three last
having been Laurent, 'Then°, and himself—Helston
lay down perfectly exhausted, and in spite of him-
self, fell into a deep sleep, from which he started
just at sundown, when he tried to rise, but fell back
half-fainting, for his injuries were more severe than
Ire would have allowed.

"Who's this ?" he said, as some one bent over
him.

"Mary Dance," was the reply.
"What time is it ?" he asked—" how long have I
been as eep ?"
"Many hours,', was the reply. "It is now
sundown.,

"Good heavens :" he ejaculated. "What is to
be done? My patients ?"
"They are all sleeping easily and well," said
Mary.
"But tho canoes f"

.u.vu men drawn -up
safely with theii paddles and sails, Those that
the savages went away in have been out of sight
',ince midday."
"That is good," muttered Helston—" Jut if ty
return P"

"The women are now divided into two parties,"
said Mary, feeling that her information would tend
to calm the injured man, "and they are going to
take it in turns to watch—those who watch being
well armed with the savages' spears and clubs."
"But the surprise, Mary, how was it ?"
"I cannot tell," said Mary—" it was so sudden.
We were all busy here when the savages, who had
approached the shore unseen, landed, and rushed
among us. The rest you know."
"And those poor girls who were killed?" said
Helston, hoarsely.
"They are being laid in their last resting-place
now," said Mary, solemnly. "Graves have been
dug by the burnt grove, where the grass is spring-
tag up so greenly, and in a short time the party will
Murn. ' _

"Thanks, thanks," said Ilelston, "it is as I could
wish. A terrible visitation, Mary—terrible. This
responsibility is almost more than I can bear. Oh,
if I had but strength :"
"That will soon come," said Mary; "you know
that, if you will lie patiently, and wait."
"Yes, yes, I know," he said. "Loosen this ban-
dage, Mary, the wound throbs horribly. Thanks,
thanks., You are a good, true girl, Mary," he mut-
tered, —issing her hand. "But these plans—this
watching, and arming, and the rest—who has done
all this ?"

"Grace Monroe," was the reply.
• Helston started, and then lay silent for'a time
Mary," he said at last, "see that Deborah is
carefully watched."
"She has been more calm of late," said Mary;
"but she shall be looked after."

"And, above all," said Holston, "recollect that
those Indians who escaped inland may return at any
moment."

"They shall be watched for," said Mary, calmly.
"Now try to sleep. Ts.morrow we shall want your
help again, doctor, for rhe wounded."
"Yes, yes," he said.
And he sank to sleep, with the murmur of the
sea in his ear; but only to be rudely awakened
about midnight by a loud shriek, and directly after
a cry of—
" The savages are come!"

(To be continued.)