Catoctin clarion., 1899-12-21
A BRUSH WITH SAVAGES.
Capt. Slocum Finds New Use for
Carpet Tacks.

Capt. Joshua Slocum, in his solitary
voyage around the world In the sloop
Spray, found a new and exciting use
for carpet tacks. In the Century Mag
aine he thus describes an encounter
with the natives of Tierra del Fuego:
Canoes manned by savages from
Fortesque now came in pursuit The
wind falling light, they gained on me
rapidly till coming within hail, when
they ceaser padding, and bow-legged
savage stood up and called to me,
"Yammerschooner! yammerschooner!'
which is their begging term. | said
"Now. Now, l was not for letting them
know that was alone, and so
stepped into the cabin, and, passing
through the hold, came out at the fore
scuttle, changing my clothes as | went
along. That made two men. Then
the piece of bowsprit which l had
sawed Oft at Buenos Aires and which
had still on board, l arranged for
ward Oh the lookout, dressed as sea-
man, attaching line by which could
pull it into motion. That made three
of us. and we did not want to yam
merschooner;" but for all that the say
ages came on faster than before. l
saw that, besides four at the paddles
in the canoe nearest to me, there were
others in the bottom, and that they
were shifting hands often. AT eighty
wards I fired a shot across the bow of
the nearest canoe, at which they all
stopped, but only for moment. See
ing that they persisted in coming
nearer, fired the second shot so close
to the chap who wanted to "yammcr-
schooner" that he changed his mind
quickly enough and beloved with
fear, "Bueno 10 via Isla,' and sitting
down in his canoe, he rubbed his star
board cat-head for some time. was
thinking of IA good port captains ad-
vice when | pulled the trigger, and l
must have aimed pretty straight; how
ever. miss was as good as a mile
for Mr.. Black Pedro" as he it was,
and no other. a leader in several bloody
massacrcs. He now directed the course
of his canoe for the island, ana The
others followed him. ! knew by his
Spanish lingo and by his full beard
that he was the villain | have named,
a renegade mongrel, and the worst
murderer in TERRA del FupgO. The
authorities had been in search of him
for two years. The FueganS are not
bearded. .... At night, March =. at
anchor in snug cove at the Turn.
every heartbeat counted thanks Here
I pondcred on the events of the last
few days. and, strangely enough, In
stead of feeling rested from sitting or
lying down, now began to feel jaded
and worn; but hot meal of vcnison
,+D ,,,f rioht that | rollli
sleep. AS drowsiness came on | first
sprnkled the deck with the tacks that
my old friend Sambiich had given me.
and then turned in. | saw to 1t that
not few of them stood business end
UP; for when the Spray passed Thieves
Bay two canoes had put out and fol-
lowed in her wake, and there was no
Disgusting the fact any longer that l
was alone.
Now, it Is we'll known that one can
not step on tack without saying
something about it. A pretty good
Christian will whistle when he steps
on the commercial end of carpet
tack; Il savage will howl and claw the
air, and that was just what happened
that night about twelve O'Clock, while
| was asleep in the cabin, where the
savages thought they had me-" slOop
and all. They changed their minds,
however when they stepped on deck.
for then they thought that | or some
body else had them. | had no need OF
n dog; they howled like pack Of
hounds. had hardly use for gun.
They jumped pell-mell, some into their
canoes and some into the sea, to cool
off I sunpOSe and thprp WAS "A deal of
free language over it as they went.
fired the rascalS a salute of several
guns when came on deck, to let them
know that I was at home, and then |
turned in again. feeling sure that l
should not be disturbed any more by
people who left in so great hurry.