The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-30
cOpyrIghted. 1893. By Louis Reoke.

chVu5H VI US going IN ner as 1t iS.'' said
the captain, kindly, for the dirty-faced but
Drignt-eyed Maurice Kinane was a. favorite
with every one on board.
"Ah, but shure. sor," pleaded the boy.
"av yer honour would just let me go, av
IL was only to pluck a blade av the foine
green grass. and lave me face in the swate
clane wather I'll be beholden-"
We'll, well, my lad jump in. then" said
Captain Williams with a smile, and buck
ling his cttlass belt around his waist he
sent the lad down the ladder before him
and the boat pushed off.
Ten months before this poor Irish lad
VINO was but thirteen years of age. had lost
both of his parents through the upsetting
of boat in Sydney harbour His father
was sergeant in the Seventy-seventh reg
iment, and had only arrived in the colony
a few months before this accident hap
pened and the boy was left without a rel
ative in the world. But the captain of his
fathers company and the other officers of
the regiment were very kind to him. and
the colonel said he would get him enlisted
as . drummer.
And so for a time Maurice lived in the
barracks under the care of Sergeant Mac
Dougall, crusty old warrior, who proved
thing but a happy one And Maurice,
though he was proud of the colonels kind
words and of serving with the regiment,
fretted greatly at the harsh manner of the
old sergeant.
one morning he was reported as missing.
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 Captain 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 ct the mouth of the little stream
the seamen were busily engaged in filling
the water casks. Not a sign of 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; he was ma
tive of Sandwich or Vate island, in the New
Hebrides. In a very short time this man
had assembled a lofty palm tree, and was
throwing down the cocoanuts to the others,
who for some minutes were busily engaged
tying them together to carry them to the
boat
THAT will do, Tommy" cried the captain
presently, come down now and help the
others to carry" He did not see that
Maurice, boy-like and adventurous, had
mo cccd to n Iocc 1nffx
little distance away, out of sight of the
shipmates, and at that moment 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 copiously of
the sweet milk of half dozen which Tom
my had husked for them.
Come, lads, said Captain Williams.
back to the boat now. By-and-by-"
A dreadful chorus of savage yells inter-
rupted him, and he and the men seized their
muskets and sprang to their feet. The
sounds seemed to come from where the boat
was watering; in few seconds more four
musket shots rang out.
Run, run for your lives,'' cried the cap
tain, drawing his pistol ''the savages are
attacking the boat and the seamen,
throwing down the cocoanuts, rushed out of
the palm grove rescue their shipmates.
They were only just in time for the banks
of the little stream were covered with
naked savages, who had sprung out of the
thick underground upon the watering
party, and ere the boat could be pushed off
two of the poor sailors had been savagely
slaughtered. Fortunately for the captain
and his party, they were nearer to the boat
when they made their appearance than were
the natives, and plunging 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 as
soon as the boat was out of reach of the
showers of spears sent at her from the
short, 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 fer
life to the ship. which had been witnessed
by Baringa and his people from the main
land.
Maurice, from his tree, had heard the
yells of the savages and ne gunshots, ana
was about to descend aIu follow the cap
tain and his shipmates. when he heard a
rush of bodies through the palm grove, and
saw beneath him forty or fifty natives, all
armed with clubs and spears. They were
notwithstanding lot, for they were almost
naked and the lips of all were stained
deep red from the juice of the betel-nut,
and their dull 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 were get
ting the cocoanuts, for finding them gone,
they at once rushed out 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 thun-
dering report of one of the ships guns
made him peer seward through the
branches of his retreat; and there, to his
delight, he caught a brief view of the boat.
Again the report of another gun pealed out.
and a wild screaming cry from the natives
told him that the shot had done some execu-