San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-12-11


IN the boat did not even reply
The situation was this: We had the fellows
penned up on a neck of sand without cover,
and we had firearms and they had none.
have no doubt we had been spied upon before
they came TO make the attack, and very
likely they believed there were three of us.
They were afraid to attack us, and as for
surrender it was not TO be thought of. In the
five years sailed among the islands never
knew a quarrel between white men and
natives to terminate in a draw. One party
or the other ran away or were wiped out.
These wreckers had meant to butcher us.
Had offered them terms, they would have
refused Had they captured us alive, they
would have lanced US Off hand and been as
tonished at any protest. Lying in our rife
pits We both realized that il was a question
of the survival of the strongest, and that we
would have no relief until the last man was
wiped out. We heard them chattering and
cursiDg for an hour or 80, the leader evidently
seeking to work their courage up to the at
lacking point, and then all was quiet
Day1ight came at last, and what was our
establishment to discover that the nine had
crossed the channel to the sand bar, leaving
most OF their weapons on the main shore.
We also soon discovered why they had braved
the sharks to reach that spot The boat had
run down the rip, circled around outside the
surf, which was very hight there, and at.
tempted to land on the head of the bar. The
fellows had swan over expecting to be taken
of, but the craft had struck a rock and filed
and sunk in fifteen feet of water. There
must have been three men with her, for the
number on the bar was now twelve The
only explanation Of why the sharks did not
seize any Of the nine was that they had fol-
lowed the boat out and around. Well, that
was the situation, and no two men ever had
a neater drop on gang of cut threats They
had their knives alone, while we had shot
guns, and it would have been the easiest sort
of work to bowl them over in succession by
off hand shots. By our volley when at
tackled We had killed three and wounded
fourth 80 that he could not leave the spot.
That made the strength of the attacking
party sixteen.
could talk all the LIMOGES of the islands,
and l asked the wounded man who they
were and why they had attacked us. He
said the boat was from the Pindos. and the
name Of her captain was Abyan. They had
attacked us for the sole object of plumber
The fellow had several buckshot in his left
groin and others in his leg, and / told him
he was fatally wounded.
1T was SO written" he calmly replied
BE 30 kind as to finish me-"
"Kin your
Certainly. would do as well by you"
But cannot do it."
''Then | will l waited for morning, in
hopes my friends would kill you, but as they
have not, and rs all must die, will go first"
He had his naked knife in his hand, and
hofS Nr, -
across his throat, and two minutes later was
dead. We now had the living to look out
for. As told you, It was only about sixty
feet across the rip, and we could look right
into their eyes. A more bloodthirsty dozen
could not have been scraped together in the
cast Had they been humbled by the situa.
ton I should at least hoped to see them ges
away; but they were not On the contrary,
they were braDen and defiant As soon as
they saw us moving they uttered shouts Of
defiance aud bTardished their knives, and
because We did nOs begin shooting they tauns-
cd us with oowartfce
Just what steps to take did not know
stood guard while my companion prepared
breakfast, but there wus little fear of any Of
them crossing the channel. The sharks had
come In until rhey actually crowded each
other, and out beyond the surf we could
ste their doFsal Ems by the score Tho ma
sives saw the sttuaRon In all its dangers, but
they continued de6ant called 10 ask them
why they had attacked as, as we had done
them no harm and were not treSpassing on
their domain, ana the leader shouted back:
'|Youaie dogl You are not fit to hive!
Yes, you are a dog and a coward! have
wet my hands IN the blood of half Il hundred
white faced dogs and am only sorry that
haven't your heart to throw to these fishesr'
''Well, whut sre you going to dor asked
as epolzed seocs rny anger
What is n 20 you dog! Comet You are
4 coward Now that It is daylight you
Hemble before US and dare not shoot! Ha,
believe yo1 VIII run awayr'
Ny companion WIS for Killing them off ut
once, but l WIS more mercifuL White |
knew they vtrfrsted for my blood, and would
kill me II Ehsy got the chance, it seemed
awful to shoe. them down In their helpless
situation After breakfast we sat down OPP
posibe them with our guns in our hands,
when those who had knives began to flourish
them and tfner taunts were renewed The
leader finally worried himself up to such a
pitch OF anger that he threw his knife across
OF me- 1t came wf1irling and whistling
through the air and entered the sand beside
me replied with a snap shot which
stretched him dead. His fall only enraged
the others, and had scarcely finished re-
leading when my companion said:
"Take care. They are going to try and
swim the channel"
They scattered along the bar its full length,
Like sasirrnishers going to the front, and at
given signal all sprang into tho water Had
there been no sharks we could have answered