The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-02-27

Oho S"VaBeS lOr Ilmc, lOr TWO weeks
elapsed before any thing further was done.
AT last, one morning, the third and last
sailor was fetched away. Percival would
not look at these horrors any more, but
retired to the furthest end of the apart
ment
His turn would come next. 1t was dread
ful to die thus, in the morning of his life,
but there was no hope for him. He tried
to resign himself to his fate when sud
denly the magic word "escape" was
whispered in his ear.
1t was strange; but until that moment,
the idea of effecting his escape never enter
ed his mind. He had in fact, been so stun
ned by the horror of his situation, that
kind of torpor had taken possession of him.
Now, however, when his life could be
counted by minutes, he awakened from his
stupor, and determined, at all events, to
make the attempt. He could die but once
and one way was as good as the other.
1t was true, when he reflected on the
NATTER he could not see how an escape fom
the clutches of the savages would help him.
He could only take to the jungle, where he
would, in all probability, die from hunger
or fall prey to wild beasts; but anything
was better than the fate in reserve for him.
He quickly made up his mind as to his
course of proceeding. His guard consisted
of four men, armed with ships cutlasses,
doubtless stolen fsom some of the unfortun-
ate vessels which fell into their clutches.
At night, three of these guards would
sleep, while the fourth kept watch.
The night following the immolation of
the last of his comrades, when three of his
guard were asleep, he suddenly seized the
only sentinel awake, unawares. He snatch
ed the cutlass from his grasp, and with one
blow cleft his skull in twain, and then,
leaping over the bodies of the others, he
made for the jungle before they had time
even to rise to their feet. -.
1t was quite dark, but he knew in which
direction the jungle lay, and the desperate
crisis of his fate seemed to give him wings,
for he flew rather than ran to the friendly
bush
He reached it in safety, and after much
exploration, he found a species of cave, in
which he was secure from the attacks of
wild beasts.
Edward Percival must ultimately have
died of hunger, for he had no means to OBJ
tain food, and the cocoa-nut trees were
in too exposed situation for him to pro-
cure their fruit; but the very next day
his ears were gladdened by the sound of
cannon shot in the direction of the bay.
He ventured from his hiding-place, and
found the village deserted of its inhabitants.
His eyes were further gladdened by the
sight of a considerable body of seamen and
Mariners under the command of Captains
Bednigfeld and Edge, of II. M. ships, the
Wasp and Satellite.
1t seems that information had reached
Penang of the fact that vessels, stopping
at the Nicobar Islands, were pillaged and
the crews murdered; and the two British
war steamers were sent to inquire into the
matter.
Edward Percival told his story, and it
was determined to take swift vengeance
on the wretches. The invaders marched
into the villages and found fearful confir-
nation of all previous suspicious as to the
character and habits of the Nicobarians.
In the houses were large quantities of
ships gear, sailors chests, tool-boxes,
sofas, cushions, fittings Of ships, nautical
Instruments, and arms.
The village was then set on fire and burn
ed, together with the war-canoes on the
beach. The ships then visited other
islands of the group, and everywhere found
confirmation of the same horrible story.
In some of the houses they found books,
with the owners names written in them.
In the report afterwards made by the
captains of this expedition, they gave a
long list of these books, together with the
thousands of other articles discovered. 1t
was found that system must have been
carried on for many years-a system of
deliberate piracy-by which ships having
been inveigled into harbors of the island,
had been seized, the men murdered, the
women reserved for worse fate, and the
ships themselves taken outside and scuttled,
on the principle of dead men telling no
tales.
A general and severe punishment was
inflicted upon the islanders, as u return for
their past atrocities and as warning for
the future. 1t was also determined, for
the safety of life and commerce, that tho
Nicobar Islands should be included in the