The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-11-20

house, and within this l posted the
four men of the crew, each with gun
had Winchester myself, but what
good would these arms be if the ma
tives should make rush in body on
us? didn't dare sleep. can tell you.
was up and around every few min
utes to see that the guards were awake
and keeping a bright lookout. At last,
on the third night, we had everything
packed, and I made up my mind to
start at once. The boys got the whale
boat out from the shed under which
she had been lying, and together we
pushed her down the steep bank into
the bay. But we had no sooner
launched her than she filed, the water
was up to her thwarts, and there was
nothing for it but to haul her ashore
again.
II could not make it out at all, for
week before she had been perfectly
sound and seaworthy boat, and knew
she could not have dried up so much
in the time. Still there was no doubt
about her leaking, and soon found
out the reason. Those devils of natives
had been at her, and some time, it
must have been during the previous
night, had managed to knock lot Of
holes in her bottom. They were quiet
over the work, too, for, though the
boat was close by, we never heard a
sound. They had STAYED in the planks
with the heads of their stone axes. 1t
was a good job had not sold them
any iron tomahawlzs, or else the boat
would have been cut to pieces beyond
repair. 1t was bad enough, but, as
the wrecked craft lay there in the man
grove swamp, saw glimmer of hope.
If we could patch her up we might
still get away. If we couldn't-well,
knew none of us would see another
dawn. 1t was touch and go, but there
was just chance.
81 posted the men on guard all
around the palisade, with strict in
functions to fire at every native they
saw approaching. Then the wife and
land she was brave little woman
set to work. We collected all the old
meat tins we could find about the
place, and, as we had been living on
nothing but timed stuff for the past
week, there We're plenty. I made
fire and melted the solder out Of the
tins, so that had number of strips
of clean metal to use as patches. 1t
was hard work, l can tell you, lying on
my back in the mud amid the prickly
mangrove stumps mailing little bits of
tin on each broken place. We put the
n fn q in, fhn oP No
boat. while my wife held the candle
for me. How many hours toiled 1
don't know, but thought would nev-
er have finished. Now and again an
alligator-and there are plenty in those
parts-would crawl out of the water to
see what was going on or perhaps in
search of his supper, but the wife
would dash the light in his face, and
he would go back quicker than he
came.
"The first flush of dawn was in the
sky by the time had finished. I was
stiff and sore and worn out, but there
was no time to think about these
things. We launched the boat, and
she seemed pretty tight, so babe thu
men bundle the trade boxes into her
and make ready to shove off, while
the wife and went up to the house to
get the few little personal effects we
had not yet carried down to the beach.
II remember, just as well as if Il
could see 1t now, scrambling up the
slippery bank and making our way to
the little house. We were careless, per-
haps. but we did not anticipate any
attack. walked straight up to the
hut The door was closed and was
going to push it open when my wife.