Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-05

the little island and it was some tim
before we found narrow opening jus
wide enough to admit of our passin:
through. Once inside a pull of 1O(
yards brought US to the white beach
The second mate and myself lit oul
| pipes and one of the men took tn,
Ratchet and felled young tree
was soon cut up into pieces the RICH
length and placed in the boat, ant
then we sat down in a little grove O
palm trees, a short distance away, and
RECALLED ourselves with the green CO
| coa-nutS.
After we had eaten our fill we saul
tered slowly back toward the boat
We were about halt way there when
happened to glance over my shoulder
The next instant l gave a shout, fol
not twenty-five yards behind us were
! not less than twenty hideous- looking
FIJI warriors running after us at full
speed, carrying their huge war club:
| and shields. Their bare feet made ne
noise in the sand, and hal I no
/ CHANGED to look back they would have
! been upon US a moment later.
Good Cod" cried the second mate.
1--WE are dead men, sure! Run, boys,
rum
And we did run.
Quick or we're lost" [ cried az
they splashed into the water anG
scrambled into the boat
But hurry as they might the say
ages were close behind. and as the last
man climbed aboard the foremost ma
tives dashed into the water with fierce
yells of triumph.
| stood up to my knees in the water,
holding the boat for my companions,
! and as | turned to jump on board q
brawny FIJI sprang upon me with up
lifted club | lodged a blow which
would have scattered my brains about
and as the huge club struck the water
/ struck out straight from the shout
der, putting my 250 pounds into the
effort It caught the fellow under the
ear and he dropped like dead man.
The next instant | sprang into the
boat and seized an oar BY this time
| the other sailors had got their oars
and attempted to row, but in their
fright they were making poor work OF
it, and one man fell backward in the
boat, nearly losing his oar overheard.
AS | raised the oar to push the boat
away from the shore two more saw
ages rushed forward, brandishing their
clubs. while spear whistled within
an inch of my head
Up went the hugh war clubs in the
air, and [ made a desperate sweep
with the heavy oar, striking one war
rior in the neck and sending him stag
gering against his companion, who
nearly fell with him. Then a mighty
shove sent the boat fully ten feet away.
Pull for your livesn' | shouted as /
seated myself on the bow thwart and
shipped my oar.
But we were not to escape so easily
for with hoarse cry Of rage the ma
tives dashed into the water up to their
bow of the boat with both hands
just then | saw a sharp Ratchet lying
at my feet in the boat and | seized it
without delay. 1t was the work of an
instant to deal the savage a deadly
blow, and he fell back into the water,
his head cloven in two.
A fearful chorus of yells burst from
the baffied Fijis as they saw us bend
to the oars and shoot off beyond their
reach, and then they scrambled ashore
and ran swiftly into the bush.
Thank the Lord boys" said the
second mate; that was a close call
We're safe now unless they've got a
canoe round that point!' But no ca
noe appeared and we were beginning
to breathe easier, when suddenly we
saw large war canoe shoot round the
point mentioned. manned by fully a
score of naked Fills.
Not a word was spoken as we bent
to our work. 1t was life or death for
us now and we made every stroke tell.
We shot through the narrow opening
in the reef some fifty yards ahead of
our pursuers and our hopes arose as
we saw the old bark was standing
toward us, bringing a light breeze
with her.
How we did pull! The men were
all used to the work and the broad
backs swayed back and forth in perfect
unison. Every oar was dipped deep
in the water and the boat fairly jumped
ahead every time the muscular arms
Strengthened out. Inch by inch we
began to gain, until at last we were
drawing near the bark. Then with
one accord our pursuers stopped pad
ding and united in a shout Of disap-
pointed rage, after which they turned
about and padded back to land. It
was not till afterward we learned the
probable cause Of their attack The
cocoanut tree is sacred in some of
these islands. and it is death TO fell
one. We had a narrow escape.