The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-12-02

down to the waters edge. Carefully skirting
this HILL our wayfarers went ON until ibev came
to quiet cove that ran up almost to the nuts its
mouth covered by a bar, about which the surf
broke pretty heavily. On the upper shore of
| TINS cove, apart from the village stood a single
hut, built larger and of better materials than
were the others.
See, Jasper, seel" cried Brawny Back. clan.
ping his hands for very loy
Jasper looked in the direction indicated and
saw whaie-boat OF good size hauled up ON
shore, with oars OF a rude make placed on a
rock close by From the appearance of the
oars, and from some rude carving about the
PROV, they judged that it was boat lost from
some ship, and made prize of by the natives
We must carry that off, jasper
"-Noiselessly they stole down To it in the gray
dawn, quietly pushed it out over the rocky
beach into the water, put in the oars, aud were
ready 10 embark. -
1"We have no water, Jasper"
londer IL a stream, and here calabasb
Brawny Back | will go FILL it, aud the bladder
we Drought. We must make little serve us"
The stream, a little torrent brawling down the
hillside, was something like an hundred Yards
OIL, Jasper ran to it, drank a long draught
filled his calabash and the bladder. and Wan
rapidly returning to the boat with his precious
burden, when cry from Brawny Back. and a
| gesture, made him turn his head In front of
the hut, standing erect and motionless, was the
| tall form Of q man, whose long hair rolled I'm
thick locks upon his shoulders. To Jasper's
excited Imagination, this sudden seen figure was
o realization of all the stories he had ever heard
OF gigantic Patagonians, and the man seemed
10 belong to the race of Titans, or to be- Cy-
clops, just stepped up from his subterranean
forge, to inhale breath of fresh air. He stood
| thap. a & L =
after Jasper, brandishing a short spear in his
right hand. Jasper had both hands full. and
this water was very, very precious He ran
on with what speed he could towards the
boat, which b. b. was pushing out into the
water so as to be free for the start as soon
| as he arrived. be was near the boat when
Is. b. cried, I" lie Is going to throw IL"
| sprlnging towards the stern of the boat at the
| same time, with oar in his hands. Jasper
| turned suddenly, right under the raised weap-
| on, and, facing the savage, made gestures in
dicating desire to parley; and, as prelimi-
| nary to such purpose, of emptying his hands.
His manner was so courteous, and so free from
| alarm and hurry that the savage was confused
lie hesitated, half dropped the point of his
| spear, and, even while he paused JASPER had
given bladder and calabash to Brawny Back.
and was advancing towards him with extended
hand. The savage warned him back with a
threatening gesture, again raising and bran
| dlshIng his weapon. Neither had given utter
! ance to a sound. In dumb show Jasper told
him that he had need of his boat, and offered
him money and jack knife in payment for it.
The Fuegan laughed disdainfully at the money,
but his eyes glittered as he saw the knife He
approached, as if to look at it closer. then
snatching it suddenly, sprang back with another
laugh, and by signs told them they were no
| matches for iim, he was a great warrior, and
| would have them for his slaves. JASPER saw
that the time for action had arrived. He drew
his pistol, examined the printing, and then ad-
vanced upon the savage. The latter seemed
to be acquainted with the power of the weapon
| for he retrcatcd rapidly, and, hnging himself
to the ground behind rock, began to veil in a
shrill treble noto evidently with the purpose of
alarming the village and summoning assist
ance. Hurried by Brawny Back, Jasper sprang
tall savage rusneu from ms anrousTr, ,i,ies, ,,n
ing the boat by the gunwale, strove to defeat
their purpose. In his mad hurry he had left
his spear behind him. Jasper put his pistol to
the mans head, but restored it to his pocket
| again. SAYING" can't do it, b. b., it looks too
much like murder"
| AS he drew back, and raised his oar to
stun the fellow with blow, tho savage made
a sudden desperate effort, sprang into the
bont-by the act unconsciously aiding b. b. in
his efforts at propulsion and grasped Jasper
| He was very tall, his muscles large and
| tense, and his sinews like whipcords. Jasper,
1.-the and active as he was, found his superior
| in the one who clutched him with the grip of
vice, and bore against his chest with fierce
strength. A moment they tugged and strove,
and then Jasper bent slowly under his weight,
while the grasp at his throat frightened, and the
filed teeth grated nearer and nearer to his face.
| I'LL hot II
saw Just as he was beginning to close his eyes /;
and he saw the heavy cutlass, scabbard and all,
sweep through the air with whizz heard the
jngling crash against the savages skull, felt
the grasp relax at his throat, and rose flinging
the motiOnless body off Of him, and standing
over it, as it rolled into the water at the bottom,
of the boat, into which the dark drops of oozing
blood began now TO trlckle.
Z" You have killed him, B. B., said Jasper,
shaking himself, as he took his seat, and began
to row for dear life.
Hum didn't he do his best to kill you ?"
asked B. b. painting with exertion. But he's
only stunned Well chuck him overheard as soon
as we get time, but we must pull like blazes now.
Put your oar out little further -thero--now
quick and steady-its life or death now-don't
you hear 'em--see there
| Jasper looked, and saw that the whole village
was alarmed women, and children, stream
ing out and shooting their arrows in the direc-
ton of the boat. The mouth of the cove was
comparatively narrow, and Jasper noticed that
most of the men made for that, evidently with
the intention Of ntercepting them at this par
ticular point.
"Pull away, Jasp., dear boy. We've got to
get through the surf somehow, and we're pretty
bad off if the way through it runs on their side
Lord how mad they are. Put me in mind Of
| a. bor,oto' ,,oo,o I mood IN atir mn whom | VIC
boy. Pull couple of good strokes now,
Jasp Look out there's spear. i tell you
. what, my bare-legged friends, if you throw
many of that sort, you're likely to snuff out your
, pretty Captain, that's making the voyage with
as Go forward there, Jasper-thats it-set
that big rock. and that sunken one to the right
WE'LL fend off, and keep her bow between then
f two, while skull, and well get through. Us,
your oar for pole. Don't let her breach, fo
Gods sake Steady now, steady. That biz
fellow yonder is taking long aim at you witt
his spear Don't look at him, you'll have t.
, run the risk---ah--m missed you, by heavens
There, push harder harder I! That's it. Weir
r most through now. BY the saints, if one 0
them niggers hasn't sent his stonc-headed arrow
erar through my arm! Wonder if it's poisoned
2 Take care there, Jasper, we're nearly through
3 now Lord don't they yelll Take your GA
0 | in your left hand, Jasper now out with you
< pistol-there's tall chap got out on rock t
starboard there, and he's going to stick one @
. as certain, if YOU don't shoot him. Get ready
r aim--now's your time Hurrah That's wei
k | done, only I'd given it to him in the body III
D stead of the knee. Get to your oar again now
we're well enough outside There, two or tire
J. more strokes Halo! ali! nh T! and to hi
n intense astonishment, Brawny Back found him
j. self splashing in the water astern OF the boat