Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1896-05-01

hour later half dozen more barrels Of
oil gurgled their contents into the sea.
AT midnight the same number were
again emptied over the ships side.
From the bridge Capt James and his
senior officer closely scanned the sea in
the direction of the islands, but no sign
of canoe was visible. The captain had
begun to think that, after all, his mate
was wrong, when jackson laid hand
on his arm. There they come!" he
said.
Stealing into sight, though as yet very
indistinct, both men could see half
dozen specks, which, as they looked,
grew larger. They were almost abreast
of each other, seemingly, and were adj
vancing fast. The captain had scarcely
noted the absence of Jackson, who
slipped silently from his side, when, be-
hind the first group of canoes, he made
out second. Though the nearest were
too far off as yet to be seen clearly, hc
knew that they were crammed with the
yellow-skinned savage rascais. When
they struck the edge of the expaEse of
oily water the captain noted that they
stopped; for a couple of minutes they
remained motionless. He could not dis
tinguish the men in the canoes, but he
was sure that they had remarked the
curions condition of the seas surfaces
and were examining it; but plainly they
were satisfied with their inspection, for
they shortly came on again.
Presently they were within hun
dred yards of the ship. There the first
group waited for the remainder. When
the latter had come up the captain
counted IA long canoes in all. They
were made of large followed logs and
held dozen fnen each.
Then the little feet separated and
swung out into two wings, one making
for the bow of the Valentine, with the
intention of rounding the vessel and re-
pcating the tactics of the first attempt,
the other sweeping toward the stern
with similar end in view.
Then spark appeared close to the
bulwarks; another glowed from further
aft. A moment later two buckets of
cotton waste, saturated with oil and
blazing furiously, were pitched over
board. AS they touched the sea, 20 feet
or more from the side of the Valentine,
flame shot up from the water, not
high, but of prodigious fierccness.
Swiftly it spread over the sea in every
direction but one, low wall OF fire
sweeping onward from the ship. In a
few seconds it had completely envelopcd
the feet of canoes. Then dire yell Of
terror burst forth from the Malays, In
the weird light of the burning oil their
dark forms could be seen confusedy
moving about. But this lasted for so
shol time that those watching OH the
Valentine had scarce space to take in the
scene before the tragedy had been en-
acted. In quick succession the canoes
were overturned by the.struggles of
their occupants, and the men prccipi-
tated into the sea. But it was not the
element with which the natives We're
almost as familiar as fishes. 1t was n
binding sea of fire; and the shrieks of
the wretches told of their fate. The
flames quickly exhausted the layer of
oil, which was, of course, very thin. But
those whom the fire left in a condition
to keep afloat were, in most cases, so
paralyzed by terror that they soon went
down from their inability 10 make use OF
their limbs.
Away to the port the fire was still
burning faulty in patches. But IL had
done its work. Only the dark forms oil
the canoes drifting about upon the wa
ter were left to show what had hap.
pened.
Whether any of the Malays got ashore
, the Valentines crew and officers never
knew. They were rather sickened by
the scene they had witnessed. But
there came TO each tn , thought of what
would have l'een his lot IL the crew who
had SO lately perished had once got q
foothold on the deck.
&c. WILLIAMS.