Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-03-11

EdSeu 10 see UT utdE DtSouu lhe uiS- tance of few feet.
 In all proba bility as the canoes bore down from windward Joey had scent ed them. He also gave the highly i'm portant information as to the quarter from which attack might be expected. Three men at least had gained the deck, but the prompt use of a revolver had caused them to retreat as silently and speedily as they had appeared. That was all. There was no actual fight The phantoms vanished as si- lently as they came. The only exter- | nal lights on the ship were the mast 1 head and side lights hoisted by Courte- nay to reveal the steamers where abouts in case one of the boats chanced 1 to be driven into the bay during the dark hours. There was an electric lamp turned on in the donkey engine room and another in the main salon, ] but means were taken to exclude them from showing without If the Indians meant to be actively hostile, lights on ! board would be more helpful to the assailants than to the assailed.
 When the captain and Tollemache followed Joey's lead, they discerned three demonlac figures vaguely outlined by the ruddy glare of the port light in the very act of clim ping the rails. They fired instantly, and the naked 1 forms vanished. Both men thought they heard the splashing caused by the leaping or falling of the Indians into the sea. By the same subdued radi- ance Courtenay made out the top of pole or mast sticking up close to the ships side. He leaned over, fired a couple of shots downward at random, seized the pole and lashed 1t to a stanchion with a loose rope end, remnant of one of the awnings. A small craft, even an Indian canoe, would be most useful. and its capture mioht tend to scare the attackers.
 Telling Tolemache to mount guard. he raced back to the saloon hatch and summoned assistance. The others searched the ship in small detach- ments. but the Indians were gone. It was manifest that none beyond those driven off at the first onset had se- cured footing on deck. Then, taking the risk of being shot at, Courtenay or dered the lights to be turned on, and the first person he saw clearly was Elsie. He was almost genuinely angry with her.
 What are you doing here?' he de- manded.
 She was learning not to fear his brusque ways. He was no carpet knight, and men who carry their lives , in their hands do not pick and choose their words.
 'I thought you were in danger, so I came to help" she said calmly.
 You must go back to your cabin at once"
 Why? Of what avail is the safety of my cabin if you are killed?"
 4 woman's logic is apt to be irritat- ing when one expects a flight of ar rows or. it may be, a gunshot out of | the blackness few feet away.
 For goodness sake, stand here, then"' he cried, seizing her arm and compelling her to shelter behind the heavy molding which carried the 1 bridge. Then he quilted her for moment in order to dispatch Chilean sailor for a lantern and long cord. He wished to investigate the captured canoe
 The lantern was brought. Courtenay stood on the lowermost rail and care fully paid out n rope to which the ! light was slung He was far too brave q man to take undue risks. He was ready to shoot instantly if need be, 1 and by his instr ,tions Tollemache and Walker kept watch as best they could in case other canoes were lying close to the ship.
 i Any doubt in this regard was dis ! pelled in a singular manner. The flick ering rays of the lantern had barely revealed the primitive craft lying alongside when a voice came from the depths. crying in broken Spanish: Don't shoot. senors. Spare me, for the love of heaven! am white man from Argentina
 ' Christobal and Elsie alone understood the exact significance of the words. ] Courtenay of course knew what lan- guage was being spoken. and it was easy to guess the nature of the appeal i But the lantern showed that the ca noe was empty Tn the center lay the ] Fuegian fire. its embers covered with a small hide. The pole. fastened to a ! crosspiece in the thwarts, was not a mast. but had evidently been shipped { in order to give speedy access to the | deck by climbing.
 Then COurtenay caught sight of two hands clinging to the stern of the ca noe. He swung the lantern in that direction and an extraordinary and even an sfrighting object became vis- fble. A Ncaricature of a human head was raised slightly above the level of the water, It was crowned by a shock of coarse black knotted hair tied back from the brovs by a fiilet Of white feathers. An intensely black face. crossed by two bars of red and white pigment. reaching from ear to ear and covering eyeIids. nose and lips. was upturned to the watchers from the deck The c0lors were vivid enough notwithstanding the sheets of rain which blew in gusts against the ships side. dinming the dull light of storm proof lamp. to convey q most uursunv effect. Nor did Courtensy re