The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-08-07
The NEWS DEMOCRATS DAILY STORY
To be published in daily instalments on this page
THE
SLAVE SQUADRON
A THRILLING TALE OF ADVENTURE
By HARRY COLLINGwOOD
CHAPTER XIX.

erably longer Journey, regarded L. as
also a very mucn SAFER one
After a somewhat long and tedious
c ihoSss the a d.tahee S s1z DS
very short-I reached the waters edge
without adventure, and without having
seen the slightest sign indicating the
presence OF savages upon the Island
therefore fastened back TO the battery
narrowly escaping being shot by one uf
our people, who. In his excessive alert
ness. fired upon me without first giving
the challenge-and hastily gathering to-
gethcr the watering party led them To
the brink of the river and huoceeded IN
securing a couple Of breakers Of water.
which / considered would be sufficient TO
last US for the next "a hours.
Then ensued long period OF tense. In
cessant. ard painful watching for the en-
emy, who. I anticipated. might make
their appearance at any moment. But
hour after hour dragged lasgingly away,
the whole force kept incessantly on the
attempt at surprise. the men, wearied out
by their excessive exertions OF the pftvi-
Gus day. needing n continuous. uninter
rupted round of visits from me to pre-
vent their falling asleep upon their arms.
And thus the long night at length wore
Itself away; faint glimmer of dawn ap-
peared In the eastern sky. rapidly bright.
ening. the fog assumed a rosy nush, and
sieamihs ike a Wv White % hot sii0us bail through @
the haze, a faint breeze from the west
like a curtain. and there lay the noble
river around us. sparkling like a sheet
of molten silver under the morning sun
beams. And there. too. lay the fiotilia
every side, thus fully 1ustifying the eau
ton which had prevented my attempting
to effect an escape down the river during
the preceding night.
1t was exasperating now TO the last de-
gree 10 know that our nights rest had
been thrown away for nothing. and that.
for all the benefit our vigilance had been
70. us, ell hands might just as well have
lain down and gone 10 sleep all night.
But repining was OF no use; we had
naturally expected an attack and had
held ourselves In readiness to meet IL,
and the only thing that remained was to
snatch what rest we could during the
day. IL was great advantage to be
able to once more see our enemies; and
as there seemed to be no immediate dis
position on their part to make a move,
l gave orders for breakfast TO be got un-
der weigh as speedily as possible sta
tioning aslookout at each angle OF the
battery during the discussion OF the
meal
We had scarcely settled ourselves when
the alarm was given that the canoes were
advancing, and leaping 70 our feet, we
found that such was indeed the case, the
whole fleet having tripped their anchors
and begun padding In toward the island
We at once opened fire upon them from
the nine-pounders as matter OF course
but the rascals had not only learned wis
dom but had also evidently very sharp
eyes, for at the moment when the match
was about to he applied TO the guns the
canoes Immediately In the line OF Are
smartly swerved from their course ano
the shot went Kissing harmlessly past
missing their mark by the merest hairs
breadth
Before we had time to load again the
savages had effected n landing upon the
beach. and then ensued a repetition OF
the previous days fighting. excepting that
our antagonists fought with their ener.
giles renewed by quiet nights rest and
more cbstnately than ever. whilst we
were weary and tagged by our hong aN
fruitlcss watch. During the desperate
struggle which consumed tho next quarter
OF an hour half a dozen natives managed
at different times TO actually force their
way into the battery. but luckily for us
they got In only one Z C. time and they
were promptly despatched.
AZ last they were beaten of and COM
PEELED 10 retire TO their canoes as before,
carrying away with them their killed and
wounded-of whom counted no less than
thirty being borne away by their COM
rades-our lads "freshening their way
for them with a hot musketry hre so
long as they remained within range.
Then followed another brief interval
during which we finished our scanty
breakfast, after which, having seen the
guns and muskets loaded afresh. I un-
dertook 10 maintain a lookout and or
dered the men TO lie down and snatch
such rest as they could get.
Go be continued tomorrow)