Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1900-01-16
/. A,eRusH .WITHasAvAeE.s i
Capt. sIocum Finds New Use for
Carpet TaclSs.


Carpet TaclSs.
Capt. Joshua Slocum, in his solitary
voyage around the world IN the sloop
Spray. found q new and exciting use
for carpet tacks. In the Century Mag
aine he thus describes an encounter
with the natives of Terra del Fuego:
Canoes manned by savages from
Torteslue now came in pursuit. Inc
wind falling light, they gained on me
rapidly I'LL coming within hail, when
they ceaser. padding, and a bow-legged
savage stood up and called TO me,
"Yammerschooner! yammerscho0ner!'
which is their begging term. said
"Ncl". Now, was not for letting them
know that l 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 Thai made two men. Then
the piece Of bowsprit which 1 had
sawed Oft at Buenos Aires, and which
/ had still on board, i arranged for
ward on the lookout, dressed as sea-
man, attaching n line by which could
pull il into motion. That made three
Of us. and we did not want to yam
merschooner;" but for all that the saw
ages came on faster than before.
saw that, besides four ut 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 fired n 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, l fred the second shot so close
to the chap who wanted to ''yammer-
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 n good port captains adj
vice when / pulled the trigger and
must have aimed pretty straight; how
ever. a miss was as good as mile
for Mr. Black Pedro" as he it was,
and no other. a leader in several bloody
massacres He now directed the course
of his canoe for the island. and The
others followed him. I knew by his
Spanish lingo and 10y his full beard
that he was the villain l have named.
4 renegade mOngrel, and the worst
murderer In TERRA del Fuego. The
authorities had heen i'm search of him
for two years. The Fuegans are not
bearded. 49,. At night March s, at
anchor in n snug cove at the Turn
every heartbeat counted thanks. Here
/ pondered 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 faded
and worn; but a hot meal Of venlson
stew soon put me right, so that | could
A IL rtr mo IW.f
sprinkled the deck with the tacks that
my old friend Samblich had given me,
and then l turned in. | saw TO It that
not few Of them stood business end"
up: for when the Spray passed Thieves
Bay two canoes had put out ana fol
lowed In her wake, and there was no
Disgusting the fact any longer that
was alone.
Now, Il Is well known that one can
not step on * without saying
something A pretty good
: Christian vs. 10 when he steps
on the "cOm snd' of a carpet
tack: a sayat howl and claw the
air, and that w.. just what happened
that night about twelve o'clock, while
J / was asleep in the cabin, where tho
savages thought they "had me-" slooI
and all. They changed their minds
however, when they stepped on deck
for then they thought that l or some
body else had them. had no need o.
n dog; they howled like a pack o.
q hounds. / had hardly use for a gun
s They jumped pell-mell, some into thei
e canoes and some into the sea, to coo
4 Of, 1 suppose, and there was a deal o
.. free language over 1t as they went
T firQd the rngcalQ n salute of geVpra
guns when 1 came on deck, to let then
know that l was at home, and then
turned In again, feeling sure that
- should not be disturbed any more b.