The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-30

Dy LOUIS BeCke.
"Ah, but shure, sor.'' pleaded the boy.
'av ger honor would just let me 90, av it
was only to pluck a blade av the foiue
sreen grass. and lave me face in the swate
ciane wather I'll be beholden-"
well wei my lad jump IN. then" said
Capt Williams with a smile. and buck
ling his cutlass belt around his waist ne
sent the lad down the ladder before him,
Pnd the boat pushed Off
Ten months before this poor Irish lad,
who was but - years Of age, had lost
both his parents through the upsettng of
boat in Sydney harbor. His father was
sergeant in Seventy-seventh Regiment,
ana mad only arrived in the colony a few
months before this accident happened, and
the boy was left without relative In the
world. But the captain of his father
company and the other officers of the reg
iment We're very kind TO him, and the
colonel SAID he would get him enlisted as
a drummer.
And so for a time Maurice lived in the
barracks under the care of Sergt Mac
Dougall, a crusty old warrior, who prov
ed a hard master, and made the boys
life anything but happy one. And
Maurice, though he was proud Of the
colonels kind words, and OF serving with
the regiment, fretted greatly at the harsh
matter Of the old sergeant.
One morning he was reported as miss
ing. Little did those who looked for him
all the next day think that the boy was
far out at sea, for he had slowed away
on board the Boadicea; and. although
Capt. Williams was very angry with him
when he was discovered and led aft, the
lads genial temper and bright honest
face soon won him over. as, indeed, it
did every one else on board.
For nearly an hour after the boat had
landed at the mouth of the little stream
the seamen We're busily engaged in filling
the water casks. Not sign of a native
could be seen, and then regardful of the
longing looks that the sailors cast at the
grove of cocoanuts, the captain, taking
with him Maurice and four hands set
out along the beach for the purpose of
gathering a few score of the young nuts
to give to his men to drink
One of the four seamen was a Kanaka
named Tommy Sandwich" ne was a
native of Sandwich or Waite Island. in
the New Hebrides. In a very short time
this man had assembled a lofty palm tree
and was throwing down the cocoanuts
10 the others, who for some minutes were
busily engaged tying them together to
carry them to the boat.
That viii do, Tommy" cried the
captain presently, "come down now and
help the others to carry" He did not
see that Maurice, boy-lille and adventu-
rOus, had managed to ascend a less lofty
tree some little distance away, out of
sight of the shipmates, and at that mo-
ment was already ensconced in the leafy
crown, gazing with rapture at the lovely
scene that lay before him.
1t took the men but another ten minutes
to tie up the cocoanuts into punches of
ten, and then each of them drank cooi-
ously of the sweet milk of half a dozen
which Tommy had husked for them.
Come, lads" said Capt williams
pack to the boat now. By-and-by-''
A dreadful chorus of savage Wells in
terrupted him, and he and the men seiz-
ed their muskets and sprang to their feet
The sounds seemed to come from where
me boat was watering; and in a few sec
onds more four musket shots rang out.
Kun, run for your lives" cried the
captain, drawing his pistol, THE savages
are attacking the boat" and the seamen
throwing down the cocoanuts, rushed ON
or the palm grove to rescue their ship
mates.
They were only just in time. for the
banks of the little stream were covered
with naked savages, who had sprung ollt
OF the thick underground upon the water
ing party, and ere the boat could ba
pushed off two of the poor sailors had
been savagely slaughtered. Fortunately
Tor the captain and his party, they were
nearer to the boat, when they made their
appearance, than were the natives ana
piunging into the water, and holding their
muskets over their heads they reached
her IN safety and at once opened fire,
whilst the rest Of the crew bent to the
oars,
But the danger was not yet over. for "a
soon as the boat was out of reach of the
showers of spears sent az her from the
shore, number of canoes appeared round
a bend of the mountainous coast. They
had evidently been sent to cut off the
white mems retreat. And then began the
race for life to the ship, which had been
witnessed by Baringa and his people from
the mainland.
Maurice, from his tree, had heard the
yells of the savages and the gunshots and
was about to descend and follow the can
tain and his shipmates, when he heard a
rush of bodies through the palmgrove. and
saw beneath him forty or fifty natives.
all armed with clubs and spears. They
were a Notwithstanding lot, for they were
almost naked and the lips of ali were
stained a deep red from the juice of the
betel-nut, and their dun reddish-brown
bodies were daubed over with yellow and
white stripes. This party had perhaps
meant to surprise the captain and his men
as they We're getting the cocoanuts. for
finding them gone, they at once rushed ont
of the grove in pursuit. Fortunately for
Maurice, they were too excited to think
of looking about them, else his end would
have come very quickly.
For nearly ten minutes the lad remained
quiet, listening to the sounds of the fight
ing, and in fearful doubt as to his best
course of action-whether to make a bold
dash and try TO find his way to the boat
or remain In the tree till a rescue party
was sent from the ship. Suddenly the
laundering report of one of the ships
guns made him peer seward through
the branches of his retreat; and there. to
his delight he caught brief view of the
boat. Again the report of another gun
pealed out, and wild screaming cry
from the natives told him that the shot
had done some execution.
Il must get out of this" he thought.
land make bolt along the beach In the
other direction, TIN get into the hills. I
can see better from there, and perhaps
make signal to the ship" He got oui-
city down from the tree, and after look
in 40 me- lone oh A..