The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-18

ed the passage, which was so narrow
/ that the barque had been kedged
| through 1t to her mornings inside the
bay. On the side opposite the point
which was covered with a low, dense
scrub-was a wall of solid reef, the
top Of which. even at high tide. was
four or five feet above sea level This
wall, which rose steep-to from its base,
formed a perfect and natural break
/ water from the sweeping seas of the
barrier reef, and extended from the
west side Of the entrance, right along
/ to the land, gradually decreasing i'm
( height as it joined the shore.
The distance between the end of the
reef at the passage, and the muzzIe
of the guns, was less than seventy
yards, and old Captain Grace shudder-
ed at the thought of case shot being
fired at crowded canoes that would
| have to pass within thirty or forty
yards of the guns. some of them even
closer If they came in abreast And
although he had declined to let any of
his own crew join in the attack Ross
/ had meditated making upon Varigo's
village before the barque sailed for
! Sydney, it was a different matter de-
Tending his ship from capture-for
capture meant that every soul on
| board would be ruthleSsly slaughtered
and so he now took a keen and act
I've interest in the preparations that
were being made. The complement of
| the barque, exclusive of Ross and his
ten divers, was fifteen-Grace, and two
mates, Tom, the carpenter boatsWain
and nine ABS; the latter all steady,
reliable men, though several of them
| were unused to handling firearms In
addition to the Sharp's breech-loading
rifles that were for the ships use, there
/ was also a case of twelve breech-load-
ing pin-fire shOtguns-cheap, Belgian
! natives for demonstrating These
guns he had been unable to sell, either
in Samoa or F'iji-much to his present
/ satisfaction, for they would certainly
! lnf1ict greater losses at a short range
| upon boarding party than the rifles
! Two of the WhalerS bOmb-guns he
mounted, or rather slung in the miz-
zen rigging, just above the rail, and
/ two on the tOpgallant forecastle. For
| these, and for the big guns on shore
there was an ample supply of ammuni-
/ ton; for the former there was a keg
of buckshOt-for in the Arctic seas. and
especially on the Alaskan coast, when
/ the sea salmon are I'm season, the
whalemen frequently fire a charge of
buckshCt from a bomb-gun into the
| swaTming masses of fish, killing hum
! dredS at one shot.
Ross had been busy preparing his
caSe-shot, cutting up rod iron into inch
! lengths, and packing the pieces tight
/ ly IN one-pOund salmon tins which
just fitted the bore of the guns. In
this work he was eagerly assisted by
/ NOrOk and his admiring natives The
chief had also made separate prepara-
/ lions of his own, of which Ross had
greatly approved. All along the west
side of the little bay, and especially
about the masked battery, huge tor
ches of dry cocOanut leaves had been
/ placed in readiness to be lit at a sig
nal to be given by him.
/ Il think said Ross, that day at din
ner, that this will be the last time
that any Of the natives of this island
on the north side at any rate-will at
tempt to cut off ship
In the evening. Mrs. Ross. Tom
/ Grace and Pat, went on shore. and
/ took a walk along the beach i'm front
OF the battery, so carefully was il
masked by shrubs and tree branches
that it was impossible to discover it
from the beach. At intervals of ten,
yards or so was one of the great
torches before mentioned, each care
| fully covered with mating to protect
it from rain. Turning inland Pat led
| the way along a narrow path which
/ practically encircled the entire village
and its plantations, and found it
/ guarded by close Gordon of sentries
who kept watch day and night: for al
/ though NOrOk did not fear an attack
gin his rear. he was very apprehensive
of spies penetrating to the village dur
/ ing some rainy or stormy night His
| orders were that if any strangers were
seen they were to be taken-dead or
alive.
Entering the village, they were re-
/ ceiVed by NOrOk. who insisted on their
partaking of food, and then witnessing
nil 4 N~ar~
/ bidding him good night they returned
on board and turned in.
Just as seven bells struck Tom heard
rain falling. and went on deck. where
he found Owens, the Welsh mate, keep
/ ing watch with four hands. All were
in their Oilskins, for the awnings-fore
and aft-had been taken down during
/ the day, Grace fearing tina: they might
/ take fire during the coming fight-if
/ they were dry, and a piece of burning
wadding should fall upon the can
vas.
well. Mr. DenisOn," said Owens. an
old eX-man-of-war's man who never
/ seemed to sleep, here is the rain at
/ last, and a ferry good thing it is too.
/ for the sooner these damdt savages
show up the peter it will pc for all of
us, so that we can have the whole
I thing over and go apout our proper
I
will not make any mess of things
! that is ALL
/ Il hope not" was the soothing re-
ply, for Denison knew that the worthy
mate felt affronted with Ross, who
/ had declined his offer to assist him
with the guns. saying that although
| he knew that Owens knew more about
working guns than he did, it would
not be right to deprive Captain Grace
l of his executive officer. Cross had
/ really a great respect for Owens, whom
/ he knew had many years experience
/ in the navy on the China station,
where he had seen some fighting with
/ pirateS).
Presently Grace and Ross came up
/ from below. and stood in the COM
/ panion. smoking their pipes, and
watching the steady downpour.
''OId Norok is a true weather pro-
phet." remarked Ross He said that
if rain came on tonight from the east
ward. it would come about midnight,
kill the wind. and continue for two or