The San Francisco call., 1897-11-21
THE CRUISE OF
THE CALIFORNIA

: cluded that trouble was afoot. In alIA
these days there had been no trace CT :
native excepting those on the yacht. and
his was of itself suspicious. Now thes
he chief had gone his natives told Mr..
Ostend that he had threatened that the
Yacht should not be permitted to go away,
They excused themselves for not giving
earlier Information, by saying that 1t was
their religion not to betray Chief but
since he was gone and out OF the way OF
harm there was no reason why they
should not inform their new friends OF
their danger and so hasten their de"
parture.
Was this true story? Or was 1T told TO
lure the white men into trap that they
might be the easier robbed and perhaps
murdered?
Mr. Ostend was not at all afraid OF an
attack while he could retreat to the Cali
fornia, for the vessel had repeating
Maxim gun on board, and was plenufully
supplied with repeating rifles. so he
waited and made one pretense and an
other to account for delay. He had pur-
pose In this. He wanted to find out how
the boys would act in the presence OF a
band of hostile savages. 1t was necessary
that he should fully understand what he
could count upon in an emergency.
The natives were in haste to be oil, but
that only made Mr.. Ostend the more de-
termined to wait as long as seemed best.
The chief was heard from on the fifth pay
after his disappearance He came alAng
the beach followed by, perhaps my
Papuans. They were not tall savages but
they were wild-looking men. The chief
said, through an interpreter, that they
had come TO trade. The temperance of
the chief set his countrymen into high
state of excitement. They were coaxed
into the cabin and there they were
fastened in The chief was disposed OF in
the sane way.
Mr. Ostend asked the natives who had
just come why they had not been seen be-
fore. He noticed that they brought no
women with them and he knew that this
as a sign of war. There was sure TO be
fight OF lively character soon and Mr..
Ostend gave orders quietly to get ready
for the attack, which would come. The
natives killed time and it was clear that
they were waiting for more savaces to
help make their victory sure. None of
the lately arrived savages were allowed to
go upon the yacht, which had been speed
lily launched, but was still close to the
shore. AT given signal all the white
men made their way toward the vessel
one at a time. When only Mr.. Ostend
and Binnie remained on shore the saw
ages gave signs OF uneasiness and but for
some words spoken by their leader they
would have let fly arrows and spears,
with which they were all armed.
! What were they waiting for2 This the
boys. unused to the ways of savages,
asked themselves? Not so Mr.. Ostend.
He had small cannon trained in the
direction of the entrance to the little bay
and the Maxim gun was put in readiness
for use 10 repeI the natives who might at.
tack from the shore side.
| The guns were manned by Mr.. Lane
/ and by Mr.. Letour. Rifles were placed in
easy reach along the sides of the yacht,
with liberal supply Of cartridges WhAp
everything was ready the rope-ladder O.
! the port side of the yacht was pulled IL
and the coming of The feet of war canotes:k
which Mr.. Ostend was sure were on the
way, was calmly awaited.
In fact Mr.. Ostend was always calm
when there was real danger ahead. He
did not, for a moment, think that the
savages would make an attack until they
had mustered a small army OF their best
and most fearless warriors.
Just before dusk the feet appeared,
Then the natives on the shore, thinking
that the white men could not get away,
threw off all pretense OF friendliness and
| boldly brandished their spears and called
on the white men 10 give up their vessel,
At the same instant they began to let fly
arrows. all of which were poisoned. Very
few shots were returned from the yacht,
1t was Mr.. Ostend's plan of battle to teach
the natives SUCH a severe lesson that the
news of it would travel ahead OF the
yacht and make her passage up the Mar.
wise River safer. Just as the moon lose
the real battle was begun. D. II. W,
| Ito be cOntinued.)