Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-06-09
DAILY SHORT STORY
Thrashing a King.
rConvright. 1903. by c. b. Lewis.

ers. We had been there for ten days
and nothing whatever had occurred to
make us suspect treachery. The cap
tain and l had been ashore several
times, been treated with the greatest
Difference, and the natives who had
boarded us did not need watching.
We soon received royal visit.
The king was accompanied by three
of his escort. and we afterward remem-
bered that they appeared to be more
interested in the windlass, cable and
the spare anchor on the rail than in all
else about the craft. A pressing invf-
tation was given us to attend royal
feast on shore that evening, sort or
blowout to prove the friendship OF
the islanders, but as the captain was
not feeling we'll he declined to accept.
Tom John and his friends appeared to
be very much disappointed and upset
that we were not to so, but when they
left the brig it was with the under
standing that the feast should come
off a day or two later.
The night came down very dark, with
the promise of n change of weather.
Every night we had had two armed men
on watch, while the cannon was loaded
with canister and the muskets were
ready at hand in case of an alarm.
There were thirty canoes drawn up on
the beach, and the adult male popula-
ton of the town counted up at least
$50. For arms they had few old
nuskets. but depended mostly on blow
guns, lances and bows and arrows.
Aside from these every man had
knife We had an anchor watch set.
with orders TO be extra vigilant, and
this man had not been on duty an hour
when he felt. as he afterward explain
ed 1t. that something was wrong with
the anchor or cable He aroused the
man who had left the deck, but was
ridiculed for his fears and ordered to
return to his station. Ten minutes
later, having heard suspicious noises
over the bows, he ventured to wake me
up and relate his fears. L went on deck
with him. and after listening for few
minutes became satisfied that some
thing queer was going on and called
the captain, who at once ordered the
sleepers to be turned out
The black rascals were trying a trick
worthy of a Yankee. The tide would
begin TO flow at o'clock. Four of
their largest canoes had padded quiet
" out to the anchor. divers had gone
down with the rope. and they were lift
ing it off the ground to let the brig be
drifted ashore with the tide. We
couldn't see ten feet into the night, but
we came to this conclusion from the
feel of things, and we didn't reach that
conclusion n minute too soon. l went
down into the cable tier and softly
knocked out the shackle pin. while the
captain saw that the end OF the cable
went overheard without noise being
lowered by n rope. At the same time
men were sent aloft to loosen the sails.
and we got steerage way on the brig
just in time to save her. Some of the
fellows must have been nearer than
we ina gined, for as we headed across
the basin they raised an alarm, score
OF torches were lighted simultaneously
and three canoes full of men came
dashing at our port bow. The captain
and sailor slowed the gun around and
poured its contents into the approach
ing crafts, and the discharge was fol-
lowed by such shrieks and yells as 1
never want to hear again. We dared
not risk the attempt to leave the har-
Dor with the darkness so thick around
us and the breeze shifting about so IN
steadily. and for the next two hours we
were boxing about the basin and ex-
pecting an attack any moment.
When daylight came the wind set
tied into the north and was fair for a
run out. The captain wanted to teach
the heather q lesson first, however.
There was a fleet of dozen canoes
coming out for us. and the fellows
were no doubt pleased and surprised
that we had not escaped to sea. Every
man was told what to do, and we
put the brig directly for the fleet.
When within musket shot, the cap
tain opened with canister, and later
on we used our muskets to good adj
vantage. In passing through the fleet
the brig ran down canoe with nine
men in ii, and 1 believe we killed a
dozen outright. None waited for n
second dose, but made for the shore
as fast as possible. In one of the
canoes was the king himself, and one
of our crew brought musllet to bear
on him and put a bullet into his
shoulder.
We had won a victory, but the cap
tain was not yet satisfied. We had
about thirty solid shot in the maya
zine, and standing back and forth
across the basins, as near the town as
we dared approach, they were sent
whizzing from the big gun to knock
things into Fragments. Every inhab-
liant fed to the woods as we opened
fire, and, though we were not using
hot shot, three or four fires were
kindled and the biggest part of the
town was laid in ashes.
There was no fear of the natives at
lacking us if we landed, as the roar
OF the big gun and the havoc wrought
by the cannon balls had given them a
fright they would not get over in a
whole day. We put off in boats. land
ed on the beach, and what buildings
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