The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-12-01

rip had they not known of our presence,
and the fact of their coming so quietly
boded i'll for US. The craft was grounded
about one hundred feet above US, and
twelve or fifteen natives leaped out on
the beach.
ATTACKED BY PIRATES.
When we had seen this much we
returned to our tent, secured the three
guns and coarse ammunition, and took
up our stations between the tel.t and
the water. In five minutes we had
burrowed out rifle pits and charged the
guns with buckshot. 1t was not for us
to open the fight. We could just make
out the group of figures around the
boat, and they would soon let US know
whether they were friends or enemies.
We had just got fairly settled when we
saw The crowd stealing over the sand
in the direction of the tent. All had
spears and clubs, and their cautious
movements proved them bent on mis-
chief. When they had come up quite
close to the tent they raised loud yell
and dashed forward, hurting their
spears and swinging their clubs, and it
was two or three minutes before they
discovered that the tent was unoccu-
pied. Then, as they huddled together
we opened fire. They were not more
than sixty feet away, and the buckshot
had to tell. There were screams and
shouts and a stampede. All broke for
the boat-all who were on their feet
after our fire. Two or three men had
been left in charge of the craft, and as
soon as they heard the firing and yell
ing a panic seized them, and they
pushed the boat off. sprang into her,
and made off down the rip. Nine ma
tves were thus left IN the lurch. They
raised great outcry, calling and com
manding, but those in the boat did not
even reply.
The situation was this: We had the
fellows penned up on neck of sand,
without cover, and we had firearms and
they had none. l 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, for surren-
der, it was not to De thought of. In the
five years [ sailed among the islands 1
never knew a quarrel between white
men and natives to terminate in draw.
One party or the other ran away or
were wiped out. These wreckers had
meant to butcher US. Had l offered
them terms, they would haye refused.
Had they captured US alive they would
have lanced US oft-hand, and been as
tonished at any protest. Lying in our
rifle pits, we both realized that it 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 cursing for an hour
or so, the leader evidently seeking to
work their courage up to the sticking
point, and then all was quiet.
Daylight came at last, and what was
our astonishment 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 dis
covered 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 light
there, and attempted to land on the
head of the bar. The fellows had swum
over. expecting to be taken off, but the
craft had struck a rock and filled 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 why the
sharks did not seize any OF the nine was
that they had followed the boat out and
around. Well, that was the situation,
and no two men had a neater drop on
a gang of cut-throats. They had their
knives alone, while we had our shot
guns, and it would have been the easiest
sort of work to bowl them over in sue
cession by off-hand shots. By our vol
low when attacked we had killed three
aud wounded fourth so that he could
not leave the spot. That made the
strength of the attacking party sixteen.
l could talk all the LIMOGES of the
islands, and | asked the wounded man
who they were and why they had at
tackled US. He said the boat was from
the Piados, and the name of her captain
was Abyon. They had attacked US for