The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-11-17 00:00:00

CHAPTER XXXIIL
AT THE HEAD OF AMAZONS.

"Now, girls," cried Helston, seizing his axe he
saw the extent of the danger to which they would
be exposed, "the time has come for you to show, in
real earnest, that you can act like men when called
upon."
" Oh !" shrieked one girl—" run, run."
A dozen were about to follow her example; but
Helston's voice arrested;them.
"Let no one stir," he shouted, fiercely. "Do you
want to be cut down, one by one, by those savages?
Keep together, show a bold front here behind this
rubbish we have thrown out; and, if the savages
are not startled by our firmness, why you must all
fight in defence of your lives."
"But I am horribly frightened," whispered one
poor girl; but Helston heard her.
"So am I," he said, smiling. "So is everybody
who is called upon to face danger till the danger
comes, then he is too much excited to think about
it. Come, girls, show that you are the daughters of
Englishmen, and fight bravely; for I tell you that
if we give way, a fate is reserved for you all worse
than death."

"Yes, sah, dey cook and eat um all," said 'Thal_la,
in a lachrymose tone.
Then, roused by the smarting pain of his wound,
he pulled out his knife savagely, and, showing his
teeth, prepared to give a good account of the net
savage who should approach.
Laurent, too, stood ready with a formidable-look-
ing stake; and Helston's eye brightened as he saw
the return of vigour in his old friend.
This show of determination had its effect upon the
women, who numbered in their ranks some of the
sturdiest of the party. One seized her stake, and
held it menacingly; then another stood ready, and,
in less than a minute, after a few dispositions
made by their leader, the band of forty women,
taking courage one from another, presented a for-
midable front to the coming enemy.
Helston was no general, but he knew enough to
ieel that a chevaux de frise of forty pointed stakes,
which could be put in motion by as many strong
pairs of arms, would prove a formidable obstacle to
a party of effeminate savages, whose arms were only
wooden clubs and spears. He believed, too, in a
good, bold front.
Just as the preliminary arrangements were made,
one of the women uttered a kind of sob that sounded
hysterical; and Helston started, and looked
anx;ously round, for, knowing the infectious nature
of a hysterical seizure amongst a party of wome.i, he
was in dread lest half the par y should melt into
tears, and the others take to flight.
To his great joy, however, the girl who had given
vent to her emotion turned her flushed;and excited
face towards her leader, and smiLed, as she
exclaimed:
'lt's all over now."
Helston took in the situation-at a glance, and
drew hope from the result.
He argued that if the savages knew thai the
occupants of the island were, with three excep:.!,ons,
women, the result would, of course, be overthrow;
but, though they might have got the better of
those they had first attacked, and known that they
were women, it was only reasonable to suppose that
they would believe that they had now to deal wi h
the men of the party, and lack somewhat of their
daring.
"Stand firm," said Helston; "don't give way,
whatever you do. Laurent, 'Thello, and I will
stand a yard or so in front of you, and fight
our best; but you must support us with your
stakes, using them as spears, or striking with
them, whichever you can do best. Only remember
this—the woman who gives way fights against all
the rest."
"We won't give way, Mr. Helston," said one,
acting as spokeswoman. "We'll all stand by you.
If one of the wretches comes near me I'll tear his
eyes out."
There was a murmur of acquiescence ran along
the lines, for Helston had ranged them in twos, and
it is to be presumed that the murmur alluded to the
former part of the woman's speech.
Meanwhile the savages, who were about twenty
in number, came running on in the most reckless
manner, waving their clubs and spears, and flourish-
ing a kind of shield they carried aloft.
This was the time of the greatest trial, and
Helston, as he took his Pace with his companions,
trlke bled for the firmness of his troops, especially
WSen a long-drawn sigh seemed to run a.%-id
front.

"Don't mind their shouts," he said aloud. "They
are only to frighten us. Keep a bold front, and we
shall frighten them."
It did not seem like it, however, for the savages
came on at a run; but when about fifty yards off
they slackened pace, began to walk, and, finally,
paused about thirty yards from the defenders of the
island.
(lb ontsaual).