The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1900-02-23
CARPET TAcks SAVED HIS LIFE
Experience of a VoSager Around the
World at Terra del FueRo,

Experience Of a Voyager Around the
World at Terra del FueRo.
Capt. Joshua SlOcum, in his solitary
voyage around the world in the sloop
Spray, found a new and exciting use
for carpet tacks. He thus describes an
encounter with the natives Of Terra
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 ceased padding, and bow-legged
savage stood up and called to me,
"Yammerschoonerl yammerschooner%
which Is their begging term. said
MOP Now, was not for letting them
know that was alone, and so 1 stepped
into the cabin and, passing through the
hold, came out at the fore-scuttle,
changing my clothes as l went along
That made two men. Then the piece Of
bowsprit which had sawed of at
BuenOs Ayres and which l had still on
board, arranged forward on the look
out, dressed as a seaman, attaching a
line by which 1 could put It into motion.
That made three of us and we did not
want to yammerschOoner," but for all
that the savages 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 yards l fred a slot across the
bow Of the nearest canoe, at which they
all stopped, but only for moment. See
Ing that they persisted in coming near
er, fired the second shot so close to the
chap who wanted to "yammerschoon.
er" that he changed his mind quickly
enough and beloved with fear, "BuenC
10 via Isla," and, sitting down In bis
canoe, he rubber his starboard cathead
for some time. l was thinking of a
good port captains advice when
pulled the trigger and l must have
aimed pretty straight; however, miss
was as good as a mile for Mr.. "BlacH
Pedro" as he it was, and no other &
leader in several bloody massacres.
He now directed the course Of hii
canoe for the island and the others fol
lowed him. l knew by his Spanish lin
go and by his full beard that he was thu
villain l have named a renegade mon
grel, and the worst murderer in Terrt
del Fuego. The authorities have beel
in search Of him for two years. Tn
Fuegans are not bearded. A
night, March s, at anchor in a snug GOV
at the Turn, every heartbeat counte,
thanks. Here l pondered on the event
. Of the last few days and, strangel
enough, instead of feeling rested fror
sitting or lying down l now began t
feel jaded and worn, but a hot mea
of venison stew put me right 50 that
could sleep. AS drowsiness came on
first sprinkled the deck with the tack
that my old friend Samblch had give
me and then | turned in. l saw to
that not few of them stood cuisines
end" up for when the Spray passe
Thieves Bay two canoes had put OF
and followed in her wake, and ther
was no Disgusting the fact any longe
that l was alone.
Now, 1t is we'll known that one cal
i not step on a tack without saying SOM
: thing about it. A pretty good Christia
!. will whistle when he steps on the ICON
a mercial end" Of a carpet tack; a savag
A will howl and claw the air, and tn;
4 was just what happened that nigl
about - o'clock, while | was asleep
the cabin, where the sayages though
they had me-" sloop and all. The
. changed their minds, however, whe
they stepped on deck. for then the
thought that l or somebody else ha
them. l had no need of a dog; the
g howled like a pack of hounds. l hs
hardly use for gun. They jump,
: pell-mell, some into their canoes ar
some into the sea, to cool off, I suppos
= and there was a deal of free langua,
over 1t as they went. l fired the ra
i Gals a salute of several guns when
n came on deck, to let them know that
was at home and then l turned in agai
feeling sure that l should not be d.
). turbed any more by people who left
80 great a hurry.