La Junta tribune., 1912-01-06

Our iurkiesa aod 10 ~ vay e =
fe0ss vas soms barbed wtss fsaeta1
+. slowed away in the cargo W
stretcbed Il around the gupwabs. VI
611nt eOostdse Il suasrtess - kssp a
an enemy. bot excellent for purposes
Of Delay. We pur two rows. one abuvs
the other. from stern to midzhips tn
ors3er ~ make II easier for the blacks
to attack u. aft. thus concenlrasins
them ~ our sdvsntsgs.
We had two couplings on the boiieru
and boss enough ~ reach any pars VI
the ship from both couplings By
sunset We had all our dispositions
mnde. The captain was In comma nd
The nrsi otsicer was to work the por,
and I the s'urboard bose. The arms
were distributed among the white
crew. The AsiAtics were kept tn the
bold
As the evening approached they b.
gan to CRY to be let out. not reiixhing
being murdered ike rats In q trap
And they also feared that the blarks
might set the ship afire Or let the VA
I ses ao w 'hOhA w oioWu tuV" e
paid no attention TO them. and they
nnaIiy became more quiet.
Long before the sun surrendered the
day to the moon we had everything
In readiness TO repel boarders Open.
ings were left In the fencing, which
was closely woven. with . barb on
top. 10 that we could nr~ at our enc
mics as well as keep them from get
ting At Us When there was only
moonlight n dark cloud rolled over our
biz round lantern and hid IL A. II
was being obscured We saw every ca.
noe pulled furiously toward ua
!, seemed TO me that We ofteen
white men opposed 10 more than three
times their number Of strong men
armed with spears they were used TO
handling. besides probably some DIRE.
arms. bad . very small chance for our
lives We were supported. however.
by faith 10 our Arrangements for their
reception. and II we could reach them
With our steam Jets we had confidence
In its power TO hnrm Them considerably
Now and again while our enemies
were pulling toward US . thin part Of
the cloud passing over the moon would
give US some light The coming ca
noes aud their loads were black -
Erebus. though here and there we
would see a nasb wien the moonlight
struck = shield or . steel weapon
Nearer came the black death I'LL the
canoes reached point cables
length from Us Two pulled TO port.
two to s,arboard aud one toward the
stern.
wondered how they proposed TO
board us. for We had been careful TO
leave nothing hanging FOR them TO take
hold OF As soon as they came beside
US and under our stern we learned
their method They were provided
With ropes OF their own maklug-of
what material | did not know-and n
the end Of each MAS q sort Of
made from 4 fovking branch. one side
heing ftcs 10 form . book They DO
sooner came near enough than the5
began TO throw these vs. to catch on
the gunwale Bu, here our vim fenc-
Ing stood US In good stead The biacks
found II impossible to get an attach
ment except a. the openines We bad
purysc~ely left for our own action.
Standing at my post with my noa
ale. l saw ooe OF the canoes come to-
ward m~. aud iis crew. seeing . single
man apparently unnrmed To defend the
opening. pulled directly under me
One OF them threw v. which caught
on the gunwsi~. and black came
quickly up. climbing hand over hand.
gave him . dose of steam right In
the face
With Q Wild Khriek. he dropped
into the boat ! dared not remain ex'
posed to a spear thrown from below.
but. sighting the position OF the boai.
I reached out with the nozzle In my
hand and poured . stream Of hot 70
por into IL Knowing by their yells
that they were In distress. 1 made bold
to lean over the ships side and turn
the str~sm IN from one end of the canoe
to the other.
For awhile the blacks were too para
iyss-d to act: then every one who had
not been severely scstded jumped into
the water. leaving the wounded In the
boat to drift away. Of courss a. soon
- they were put out Of the nght !
des..ted
Neanwhii. the nrst ofnccr was hav.
ing = similar experience With the
blacks Oh the other side. as ! well
knew from the yells coming from 'hn,
direction. l had no sooner driven Oh
my enemies than was ordered by the
captain to the sieru. wherr several
blacks bad aIready climbed ny aud
were jumping down on the deck l
did not nerd TO 20 TO them. simply
turned q sisSui "a on them some tell
on the deck; otb~r~ managed to 81
oves the tanrail aud down into their
canoe os the wsier.
And 70 u ever, point We achieved
an eaay vtctory without drtnR Q shot