The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-05-21

some baNl " savage frenEy. fur Cour
,cnay 81 course would have laughet
away the girls protests that she wai
usuuing another woman's place.
II the confident demeanor " the pad
ding Warriors In the canoes were des
tined to bc justified, the Kansas was
In n parlous state. Her vast hluk and
sheer walls Of steel did not daunl
them. They came on steadily against
the rapid current and spread out into
crescent when within few hundred
yards OF the ship. Then three men,
crouchlng IA the bows OF different ca.
noes, produced rides hitherto invisible
and began 20 shoot. The bullets rico.
chetted across tho ripples, aud Conr,
tenay saw that the sayages did not un-
derstand the sighting appliances. They
were aiming point blank at the YES
sci IN so far as they could be said 10
aim at anything. and the low trajec-
tory caused the first straight shot 20
rebound from the surface OF the water
and strike a plate amldships. The loud
clang OF The metal was hailed by the
Alaculofs with shouts of delight
The long range firing was kept up
for several minutes. much 10 Courte
nays relief, AS Suarez was certain
that the Indians stock OF cartridges
did not amount 10 more than 400 al
the utmost The canoes crept gradual.
ly nearer, and bullets began 10 strike
the ship frequently. One glanced or
a davit and shattered couple OF win.
dows IN the chart house. This Incl.
dent aroused even greater enthusiasm
than the first blow OF the attack.
There was renewed activity among
the paddle wlelders, Two canoes were
not fifty yards from the most souther.
ly floating mine. Courtenay com.
menced 10 haul IN the slack OF one
among the half dozen thin cords. He
turned TO tell Suarez TO be ready for
the duty which had been intrusted 10
him when his glance happened to trav.
el toward the mouth OF the bay.
Then he learned the significance Of
that column Of smoke on the northern
point. A feet OF at least forty canoes
was advancing on the ship from the
sea. Tide and paddles were swinging
the small craft along at spanking
pace. They were already much near
er the vessel than the first batch OF
Indians, who had very cleverly con.
trlyed to enlist the attention OF the do.
tenders while the real attack was de
veloping without let or hindrance. II
was a smart ruse worthy OF a race OF
higher attainments than the tribe
which Is ranked lowest In the human
scale. The newcomers abstalned from
firing or stone singing They were
gathering with the speed and silence
of vultures.
Two mines protected the front OF the
them. Indeed, Courtenay soon found
that some OF the assailants were al
ready screened by the ships bows, but
the larger number were clustered
thlckly round Tollemache's Internal
machines II was well that cool
headed sailor was called on to deal
with this emergency The captain OF
the Kansas even smiled as he appre.
clated the full meaning OF the trick
which his adversaries had tried TO play
on him, and the man who smiles In the
face OF danger is one TO be depended
on.
The six cords were numbered. He
dropped No 2, which he was holding,
and seized Nos. and g. He drew
them In, hand over hand, as rapidly as
possible, but was careful not 10 sacrifice
a smooth tension to undue hurry. In a
few seconds two deafenlng reports
split the air, the glass front OF the
chart house shook, pieces of the broken
panes ratified on the floor, several
scraps Of iron, bolts, nuts and heavy
nails fell off the decks and hatches,
and tremendous hubbub Of yells
came from the main body Of Indians.
A couple OF heavily charged dynamite
bombs had burst In their midst, deal.
ing death and destruction over wide
area. Several canoes near the float.
ing platforms were torn asunder and
sank, while men were killed or wound.
ed out OF all proportion to the number
Of craft disabled
Courtenay at once picked up the gov.
erning cord Of the mine which he was
about to fire In the first instance. He
felt that the Alaculof fiotilla would act
In future ON the "once bitten twice
shy" principle where those innocent
looking little poles showed above sea
level, and he must strike fierce blows
while the opportunity served, The
nine canoes on the south were not clus.
tered around the bomb In the same
manner as the others, but they were
,ear enough to sustain heavy loss. and
heir frightened crews had ceased TO
ply their paddles, 30 he fired that shell
llso and had the satisfaction Of seeing
.wo more OF the frall craft capsize.
He heard the crash Of bullets against
he ships sides A yolley OF stones !
mashed several more panes OF stout
glass, many arrows were imbedded In
he woodwork, but be calmly pulled an.
,ther cord and blew q single loud blast
IN the siren. That was the agreed sig. !,
lal to warn those below that they !.
must expect TO be attacked from the !.
ore part Of the vessel. His shotgun :
vas lying on the table. He took II up :
nd faced forward again Several
anoes were scurrying past and away !,
rom the ship as fast as the current
nd many arms could propel them.
Ie fired both barrels at those within :
ange on the port side. He reloaded, !
nd the sharp swapping OF revolver u
hots told him that Tollemache and
be Chilean were busy