Year: 1870

n
the force of the current. But my hope
lay In her sending boats, as soon as those
on board should see my flag of distress
| aud the strange trim of my sails.


| managed to swing the head yards
round and set the foresail, after fashion.
| But meanwhile the savages were fast
closing with me, and l had not sufficient
| confidence In my sham seamen to believe
that,I could long deceive their sharp eyes.
/ might gain little time; but the trick
must be discovered and feared it would
be before succor could reach me from tn
strange ship. tr'


kept Jessie at the wheel, steering as
much off the wind as l dared but / was
fearful of getting embayed, and not hav-
ing room to clear the point. let fly the
mainsail, and gave it q kind of flying set,
as we'll as l could. The ship felt this
added power at once, and gathered head
way; which determined she should not
| lose, for if the barbarians once succeeded
in getting on board, it would be too late
| fol. any attempt of boats to rescue us, even
if we were not instantly put to death. 1t
was no time now to think of the question
whether l could ever get the sails In again.
| must have the use Of them now, at
once and sprang aloit to loose the top.
sails. uI.


| had only time to do this and let go the
gear, 80 that they filed and bsgged out in
mid air; for of course l could not hoist
the yards up. The leading canoe was now
| drawing very near me; and the ugly-look
ing wretches stood standing in silent be-
wilderment as the chip drove past them.
l saw by their gestures as they pointed at
the handspike men, that they were all
ready suspicious; probably from having
noticed that they didn't move about. But
they rested on their paddles to confer
| with the next corners, and l had thus
| gained so much time, while was doing
what could 10 push the Warsaw ahead.


knew these people well enough to be
sure that they would never attack un-
less all the circumstances were over
whelmingly in their favor. They would
move warily in accommodating; but,
as soon as certain of the true state OF
things, they would make dashing at
tempt to board the ship by force.


had thus shaken off the first canoes,
and left them in the wake. A stern chase
is proverbially long one, though their
canoes would sail much faster than the
ship would, under her bags and festoons.
But other pursuers were fore-reaching
upon me, and fresh reinforcements put
ting out from the shore as we nesred the
land obliquely. None seemed to care to
visit the other ship; but all were attracted
by the mysterious maneuvers of mine.
A large canoe, which contained one
whom judged to be leading chief,
placed herself in my track. Twas obliged,
necessarily, to pass her 80 closely, that
their suspicious, already aroused by tele-
graphic signals from their baf1led COM
rades, were rendered certainty. Our real
weakness was now understood, and al
most Instantly communicated through the
whole flotilla. All those which had been
left in the rear gave chase under full
power of sails and paddles; while five or
six late arrivals, who had the advantage
of position disposed themselves for board
ing the ship on both bows at once


There was no alternative for me but to
stand boldly on my course, and l had
| time, before closing with the enemy, to
run up in the main rigging and cast an
anxious glance toward the ship, which
was hugging the wind under all SAIL in
the endeavor to come to my relief Bet
ter than all, could see that two boats had
left her side and were pulling toward me.


But a crisis must come before they
could arrive on the stage. sprang on
deck again, seized boarding knife, ter
rible two edged weapon, which would be
far more effective at close quarters than
any fire arms, and took my stand on the
fore. matches, where could Jump quickly
| to either side. The bulwarks, as before
stated, had been nearly all swept away by
the sea that boarded US. But this circum-
stance was quite as much in my favor as
in that of the assailants.


/ watched the approach of two canoes,
which were nearly abreast the fore chains,
on each side. 1t seemed that they would
both attack at the same instant. If 80, /
| x,o;obt ha ouarWh hol ad hu ono ,,orfu
boarding in the rear while was upsetting
the other. dropped the boarding knife,
and seizing musket, the only reliable
one had, l took hasty aim at the man
in the head of one of the canoes and fired.
He dropped his paddle, struck, as sup
| pose, in the arm. / was safe on that side
at present, as the confusion and loss of
headway would be sufficient to cause her
to lose her chance of grasping the chain
plates.


/ rushed across the deck just in time to
meet the other canoe as she fell alongside.
One of my Quaker mariners with hick-
ory backbone stood conveniently at hand.
I lifted it and dashed it upon the heads of
the savages, telling two of them. THY
also lost their hold and drifted astern.
But by this time third and fourth were
almost upon me. / was ready with wea-
pons on both sides, and now that l was
fairly in for it, felt far less anxiety than
when the fight was only in anticipation.


One of them made clumsy work of it,
dashing her prov violently against the
ships side, and being thrown adrift on
the rebound. But while l was observing
this the other, on the starboard side, had
secured firm hold, and two grinning
warriors Lad made good their footing on
the planksbear. A rush, with the thought
that was striking FOR NY own life and
that of the child; single sweep of the
keen boarding knife, and the two man
gled barbarians fell back upon their COM
rades. / was clear Of that crew by sim
gle cut, dividing their warp Of cocoanut
cordage. had received wound in the
side from spear thrown at me-a ragged
cut by series of sharks teeth-but /
hardly felt it then.


Meanwhile the brave little girl had stood
at the helm, steering the ship as well as
could have done it myself, and carefully
noting my orders, conveyed to her by a
wave of my hand. There were still two
more canoes ahead, but led one of them
into trap by directing Jessie to make a
broad yaw, and then suddenly bringing
the ship back to her former course. Taken
by surprise, he had no time to get clear
from under our bows. The canoe was
crushed, and sunk instantly, thougn IL was
quite impossible to drown her amphibi-
GUS navigators. Her consort kept out OF
reach, and fell in abeam of US at a safe dis
tance, not daring to make an attack un-
supported.


l felt now comparatively safe, for al
though all the canoes astern were steadily
gaining upon us, they must approach us at
great disadvantage, and, besides, they
had lost confidence and prestige for, with
savages, the first surprise is everything.
could now take my stand aft, near my little
liberation.


But while doing so with deadly effect
upon the man whom supposed to be high
chief as before mentioned, was startled
by cry from Jessie; and turning, beheld
: the shooky head of a stalwart savage ris
ing into view on the other quarter. III,
had poised his spear for the act of dartiDl