Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-08-10
Mr.. H0LDEN'S NARRATIVE.
A Romantic Story of Shipwreck,
Captivity and Suffering.
CAST AMONG BARBAR0US SAYAGES.
Horace Holden Subjected to Unheard Of
Suferings Among the BarbarOus
Pelew islanders.
CAST AMONG BARBAROUs sAvAGES.
CHAPTER XII.

heart overlooking with hope and a
mind filled with bright pictures of
tbc future.
Early the next morning the look
outs that had been stationed in the
tops of the tall cocoanut trees an
nounced that the vessel that had
been reported the evening before
WAS still in sight and had apparent
ly approached a trifle nearer to the
shore, but was still! far out at sea.
My first duty-and it was a pleas-
ure-was to find Mute and let him
share the good news with me. !
found him hiding I'm the brush as
before, the only change being that
he had grown weaker and could
scarcely speak audibly. Assisted by
"A friendly savage | brought Mute
nearer TO the village, that | might
find him more readily in case that it
might be our good fortune to be TAX
en- aboard the vessel.
We could see our last hope of cs-
cape and as we looked far out to sea
and were greeted with sight of the
vessel we were elated with delight
But the difficult part of th e program
was to get the natives to permit us
to leave their island. Finally, after
taxing our exhausted powers to the
utmost, we persuaded them to pre-
pare for making visit to the vessel,
and throwing our emaciated bodies
into their canoes, or dug outs, we
made for the ship with all possible
despatch. Mute was still so weak
that he had to be assisted into the
canoe.
BY our promises to the natives, as
reward for permitting us to quit
the island and tor taking us to the
vessel, we were to give them, upon
arrival ut the ship, numerous pres
ents of old iron and metal. Thus
stimulated with the hope Of liberal
reward, the fleet Of primitive ship
started In the direction of the vessel.
The arrangement was that our
Pelew friend and myself, with one
crew, were to head the fleet and
reach the vessel in advance of the
others. Mute aud those constitu-
ting the crew OF the canoe in which
he was stationed were to follow
closely.
All went well thus far with our
arrangements and we started in the
direction of our would-hc rescuers.
The natives had pulled maufully n
the oars for several hours and we
were just beginning 10 come into
plain sight of the vessel when she
was seen to set sail. This move
ment ON the part of the vessel was
followed quickly by the discharge
Of u salute of three shots directed
Immediately over us. The terrible
roar Of cannon aud the plowing up
of the water behl nd us thoroughly
frightened the already excited and
alarmed natives and my heart sank
within me. The crew fell to the
bottom of the boat, quickly and
adroitly heading her for home
ward voyage. realized at a glance
that now was the time for action
and what was 10 be done must he
done quickly, rs return To the
Island meant starvation, suffering
death, while escape to the vessel
meant, perhaps, home, life liberty!
| took advantage of the unfortunate
situation and, by working upon the
superstitious natives through the
subject OF their God, was able To
command the vessel. told them
that We must 20 nearer 10 the YES
sci 50 | could be heard; hut they
were slow TO act, rs they feared that
all of us would be killed.
Al last when the excitment of the
moment had abated we again pro-
Q ,eded toward the vessel. But We
had not advanced far before a six
FOUNDER, loaded with copper droSs,
was fired at us and with such dlsas- /
trous precision that water was
thrown all over us. Once more the
natives were thrown into a feverish
axoitment aud the little fleet was
| knew not what Ia
10 or how Ia act. But II was certain
that whatever was To Ia done now
would require strong Argument aud
land labor. The natives weW Wild
md rebelled at the thought of pro-
farther In the direction of the
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