Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-10-03

fore-royal stay cut so that it would drop
over into the water and give him some
thing by which he could climb to the
jibboom the boy had got so badly tuck
cred out that be couldn't do it. 1t was
3 O'Clock when we first saw the trouble
on board, aud we finally waited for
night.to come to enable Ben Clouph to
try plan which he proposed 1t would
have been better if we mad waited until
midnight, but Mr.. Smith, had to use his
authority even to keep the man from
plunging into the water and shining up
the cutwater. Meantime the sharks had
oomc around for the dead whale that
through the water and making great
stir to lceward. When night had fully
come Ben took knife in his mouth and
slipped over the stern of the boat, which
was then just beyond the end Of the jib-
boom. He did not dare to strike out
lest the stir in the water should attract
the attention Of the watchful savages, so
he trod water slowly toward the stern of
the ship Two big sharks came around,
but did not seem to understand the ver-
tical figure in the water, and gave him
no occasion to use his knife. 1t was
nearly two hours before he ended his sus-
pensc by diving under the ships quarter
and coming up alongside of the rudder.
Then he easily reached the open cabin
window and crawled inside. Here he
stripped himself, so that in case of tus-
sic with the savages they would have
nothing to cct hold of, and then he
hunted up the muskets. Two only were
in order to load and when charged were
put at the foot of the cabin stairway. 1t
was absolutely dark in the cabin, but he
managed to get his work done. While
getting cutlass be heard a footstep on
the cabin stairs, and the next minute
something knocked over the arms stand
ing at the foot of the stairway Ben,
with his cutlass in hand, crawled over
that way, saw the dim outline of the
savage against the sky over the com
panlonway, and plunged the cutlass
through that outline. AS he drew it out
the savage seized the blade, and then
began desperate struggle for its pos
session. The savage, although desperately
wounded, was a powerful man. Grasp
ing the weapon with both hands, he
twisted the blade around, cutting Ben's
right palm to the bone. But when he
closed III to throw Ben he made a mis-
take. Ben had him on the floor IN no
time and one eye gouged out, and was
saving his neck with the dull-blade of
the cutlass in a vain effort to cut his head
off. Finally the savage ceased to strug
gle and Ben arose, supposing his OPP
ponont dead No sooner had he done
so than the savage jumped up, c,tlass
in hand. but he was too much exhausted
hv the loss of blood to do more than
strike one or two blows that did but lit
tie harm.
"Although the two men never uttered
n CRY during the fight, the sounds Of the
conflict must havesattracted the attention
of one of the savages on deck. As Ben
went over to the cabin stairs he saw one
of them peering down with a cutting
spade in hand, Ben picked up a mus
ket, and, aiming at the savage pulled
the trigger The old tlintlock snapped
and missed fire The savage was unable
to see down in the cabin, and probably
did not understand the sound of the
mu>kct lock At any rate he did not
move. and Ben tried again without sue
cess to fire the nusket The third time,
however. the gun went off, and the fell
low pitched headlong down the stairway,
the cutting spade which he neld striking
Eens left arm right IN the swell of the
muscle, and cutting fearful cash. The
sound of the shot brought the third saw
AGE aft with cutting spade, and Ben
reached for the other musket. 1t was
no use The wounds in his hand and
arm were SO painful that he could not
raise the weapon The savage stopped
To listen for minute, and, hearing
nothing, ran forward and jumged over
board. although neither Ben nor the rest
Of US in the boats, which was then under
the stern, knew it. Ben heard US and
shouted for help. saying that two Of the
savagcs were dead but the maze would
not believe it, having heard but one
shot. so Ben sat down on the floor and
let the blood run, after expressing his
opinion of two boatloads of men that
would allow shipmate to face three
sayages, and then when he had killed
two of them let him die for want CT help
to bind up wound. The men couldn't
stand that, and were soon climbing
through the cabin window. A candle
showed Ben's condition, and the two