The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-25
The Adventures of a Supercargo
CHAPTER XXXVI.

ing the eastern horizon, as Ross, peer
ing over the breastwork of the battery,
discerned the advancing canoes: they
were less than five hundred yards dis
tant, and approaching the passage very
rapidly. As he watched, a second mes
Benger arrived-this time from Norok-
saying that VarOgi had landed, and
was leading his men into the trap, and
that he CNOrOk) only awaited the sound
OF the first shot TO fall upon them
Nearer and nearer came the canoes,
four abreast, and urged along silently
but swiftly by the crowded paddlers.
the paddle blades plunging into and
Withdrawing from the water in perfect
unison. Quickly in the semi-Garkness
they passed the battery, and then bore
q little to port. as the four leading ca
noes caught sight Of the barque, lying
so quietly before them. with the ends
Of her fore and main yards almost
touching the branches Of the giant teak
tree: and as Tint and his savages
swept forward Ross and his men threw
aside the branches and shrubs that
covered the guns and waited; they had
not TO wait long
Suddenly the leading canoes formed
into single line the second followed.
and then all eight made rush at the
dark hulk of the barQue. As they came
alongside, two blue-lights flaTed, line
of fire burst from the bUlwarks. and a
crashing volley of musl1etry awakened
the mountain echoes. followed by a
cheer from the ship, and yells and
screams OF agony
Light up. light up." shouted Ross.
and as one Of the huge torches blaZed
forth. there came the sound Of the
bomb guns and the crashing of wood,
mingled with dreadful cries as the
hapless wretChes in the first eight ca
noes fell dead or dying amid the wreck
of no G from
the battery torch lit up the dark water,
NOrOk's ten canoes shot out from the
beach, and then the whole Of the shore
burst into light and revealed more
clearly the fierce struggle round the
Meg MerTiles.'
Standing by the guns. Ross
swarthy-faced natives watched the at
tack with Bated breath, waiting for
their turn TO fire.
Not yet not yet" cried Ross. "our
turn viii he when they are coming
back. All. look at that"
Castles and the carpenter, who were
on the tOp-gallant fOrecastle, had re-
loaded their bomb guns, and fired to-
gether at two fresh canoes, which
plOughing their way through the
wreckage of the first eight, had shot
alongside. unheed1ng the fire from the
rifles. The murderoUs hail of buckshot
took the leading canoe fore and aft and
=
the twenty savages who manned her
But undaunted by the slaughter. the
second canoe, with half a dozen Others
I'm her wake, swept up. their crews yell
ing defiance as, casting aside their pad
dies they seized their weapons and
tried madly to board, only to fall back
dead or dying into the blOOd-StaineC
water. or upon the wreckaSe of then
canoes. From the shore behind the
battery came the sound of musketry
as daylight enabled NorOk and his meT
10 pursue their work of slaughter upoT
the landing party, and the whole ain
was filled with demOBiaCal cries, - tht
clamor from the barqUe was answered
by savage cries of triumph from the
shore mingled with the screams ol
terrified women and children.
Three separate times did these valo-
IOUS SdVageS try To gain a footing OF
the barQue the canoes clustering round
her like bees; two, manned by over
forty men. made a dash at her bows
and i'm a few seconds tWO-thiTds OF
them had clambeTed up on the top
gallant fOTeCastle. armed only with
clubs and daggeTs; and Castles, the
carpenter. two white seamen, and some
of Norok's men were hurled below upon
the fore deck. where the poor carpen-
ter, and two sailors, were quickly
slaughtered. and Castles. as he rose
felled by a blow on the head, dealt him
10y youthful warrior of about IS years
of age. who. however, was shot dead
the next moment by the second mate
who. with several other men. had
rushed forward To beat back the board
ers. They. however, fought with such
insensate fury that before they were
killed or driven over the side the stew
ard was badly wounded, and four OF
the Moan people killed.
Then, crowded with wounded men
mo. of no .7v-avz
off. gave up the fight. and turned sea
ward to escape. but quickly brought tC
again when they saw their way barred
by the ten canoes awaiting them in the
passage Their indecisiOn, however
lasted but a few moments, for with
three OF the largest canoes leading. they
made a rush FOR the entrance, and then
from the now unnasked battery there
came two bursts OF smoke and flame
and the sharp. crashing Bang Of two OF
the brass guns and q hail OF case shot
.lOughcd through the naked bodies 81
The unfortunate natives, smashing III,
canoes 20 fragments, and singing the
water into a sccthirg foam. Grace
covered his face with his hand, ana
turned away, sick at heart and shud-
dering.
HorribIe-horribIe-it is sheer, use
less butchery,' he cried Owens. and
lou. steward, nut down your rifles
N p
OF these Internal savases of ours and
drive the brutes on shore"
As the mate, Denis0n, and the stew
ard ran along the deck calling ont q
the white seamcn and their savage al
lies 10 cease firing, they heard the IW0
other guns thunder out their messages
Of death, and the cries of agony from
the water were drowned in a long. ex-
Ultant Ah-h-he, from NOTok's people in
the waiting canoes.
Fourteen only out Of the entire in
vadirE feet Of canoes succeeded in get
ting past the battery without being hit
when the guns opened upon them q
second time, and of these six were cut
of by NOTOKs people; the remainder
with their crews too exhausted to pad
de more than mile or so. in order tC
escape their relentless pursuers were
run on shore. and the savages took "a
the bush, hiding in the jungle until
nightfau