Nebraska advertiser., 1865-09-21


speak: and the light of the lantern
enabled his men TO perceive that his shirt
was saturated with blood. AS they plac-
ed him in the stern sheets; his eyes rOl.
led il his head, bis limbs t@itchSd Gen.
vbls;vly: a moment later he was dead. q
They opened his shirt and found a
ghastly looking wound just below the.
ribs. 9 a''1.e'
A few minutes afterward one Of the
men, glancing aslern, thOught he saw
dark object, evidently a human head
within few yards Of tie boat. s4
He gave the alarm but before the
crew could touch their oars, half dozen
hideous faces rose within few feet of
the gunwales.
A spear few from the uplif'ed arm of
one of the swimmers and pierced the
heart of the bow oarsniGn. t.fs4
Pull for your lives - shouted Ben
Black, an old sailor, gfasping the tiller.
He was Obeyed, aud the boat shot
ahead before the natives were near
enough TO seize it. ~ aoa Tgau
"Only 10 think - gtowied the old tar,
ia an impatient voice that we haven't
a single weapon 10 punish those rascals.
They. are coming dogs-blast 'em-so
swim under waterthe way they did, aud
contrlse 10 murder Two Of our"
He paused, and peered eagerly for
ward. The dark outline of along canoe
was visible a few yards ahead. Half a
dozen spears whistling past the temples
of the men as they turned round, pro-
ella m d haiti was occupied
Tie toa! being now close to the ship,
however, old Ben shouted to those on
board when The canoe was seen TO glide
swiftly away. II soon disappeared in the
darkness: and the cutter was then pulled
alongsine the vessel The story of Ben
and his shpmates was soon told {: and the
bodies of the captain and bow oarsman
were lhoisted aboard without delay. As
the sorrow stricken sesmen gathered
about the lifeless forms, the clouds were
swe pt from the moon by sudden breeze
and the rays of the satellite lighted the
sea for miles. r
Three canoes were then seen approach
ing the ship They were filled with ma
tives, al! Of whom were armed with clubs
and spears. .a.-
Takitg advantage of The breeze, the
mate brought The ship into the wind, in
tending to punish the rascals before he
took leave of them. A twelve. FOUNDER
was loaded with old lead, pieces Of iron,
aud two or three rusty marIinspikes.-
Then it was pointed through one of the
ports, at the foremost canoe, and dis
charged. The roar of The piece was was
followed by shrieks, groans and yells,
from the occupants of the frail craft
The latter sank very soon, and It's dusky
crew were seen struggling in the sea
some Of them, probably those who bad
been wounded, beating the waters wildly
with their arms. The other two canoes
few to the assistance of the swimmers
and while these were being picked up,
the mate motioned to the helmsman 10
raise his wheel. The sailor obeyed, and
the ship was soon gliding off toward the
open sea at rate of seven knots.
The bodies of the captain and his oars
man were launched overheard the mex
morning. and as the waters closed over
the cold remains, old Ben turned to. one
of his shipmates- with binding teal
in his sea-blue eye
That's the way-that's the way we
must all goodwin to our graves In the
sea. OF into them onland, il matters little
which. Poor Tom Garnet. too, he's
another one of them that's gohe. It i
very plain now that one of them cursed
blueskins, swimming under water Il
reconnoilre, came just under The sPankel
boom and ihrowed spear at him which
brought him tolthe sea in such condit
ion that he sank TO rise no more. Poo
Tam ~ --ii ssrs3tld l.Z