Year: 1870

The force OF the current. But my hope
lay III her sending boats, as soon as those
on board should see my flag of distress
and 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 / had not sufficient
confidence in my sham seamen to believe
that could long deceive their sharp eyes
| might gain little time; but the trick
must be discovered and l feared it would
be before succor could reach me from th {
strange ship.


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


l had only time to do this and let go the
gear, so that they filled and bagged 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-
wildermert as the chip drove past them.
/ saw by their gestures as they pointed at
the handspke men, that they were al
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 TO push the Warsaw ahead.


knew these people well enough to be
sure that they would never attack un-
less all the circumstances were over
wbelmingly 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

ting out from the shore as we neared 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 a leading chief,
placed herself in my track was obliged,
necessarily, to pass her so closely, that
their suspicious, already aroused by tele-
Urarbio Sirnalu from, thoir b.f1la6 opm-
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 snip, 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 hsd
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, a 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 SO, l
might be overwhelmed by one party
boarding in the rear while was upsetting g
the other / dropped the boarding knife,
and seizing musket, the only reliable
one l had, took a 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
| lifted it and dashed it upon the heads Of
the savages, telling two OF them. Iheg
also lost their hold and drifted astern
But by this time third and fourth were
almost upon me. l was ready with wea
pOns on both sides, and now that | 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, aud being thrown adrift Oh
the rebound. But while was observing
this the other, on the starbOard side, haC
secured a firm hold, and two grinnine
warriors had made good their footing on
the plank shear. A rush, with the thought
that / was striking for my own life anC
that of the child; single sweep of The
keen boardingk knife, and the two man
| gled barbarians fell back upon their com
| rades. l was clear of that crew by sin
gle cut, dividing their warp of cocOanu
cOrdage. | had received wound in th'
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
wave of my hand. There were still TIVE
more canoes ahead, but led one OF tnen
into trap by directing Jessie to make
broad yaw, and then suddenly bringing
the ship back to her former course TakeI
by surprise, he had no time to get clea
| fiOm under our bows. The canoe wa
crushed, and sunk instantly, though it wa
quite impossible to drown her amphibl
Gus navigators. Her cOnsOrt kept out o
reach, and fell in abeam of us at safe dis
tance, not daring to make an attack un
supported.


/ felt now comparatively safe, for al
though all the canoes astern were steadil


gaining upon us, they must approach us


a great disadvantage, and, besides, the.


had lost confidence and prestige for, wit


savages, the first surprise is everything.


could now take my stand aft, near my littl


companion, and could use firearms with de
| liberation