Show I THE TURES OFA OF A SUPERCARGO B By Louis B 1 CHAPTER It seems sIr saId the that since the barque anchored Varo I gi and the white man have been send sending j ing messengers to each other and a week ago Timi told hIs people to get theIr arms and canoes In readiness as ashe ashe he had great work in hand He would not tell teU them what it was but yester yesterday yesterday day he picked out of his best men and told them that they were to come ome with him overland to town and that on the way there lIe he would explain to them what was the work in store for them The reason he would not do so before was that there are some slave women in the village who b belong long to town and he was afraid that anyone any one of them If she heard what was afoot would make her escape into the bush and give what is that and he broke off abruptly I hear someone coming Down flat sir All three threw themselves down upon the bed of leaves and listened and then to their great joy they heard hearda a low whistle It was who was searching for them He had he told them seen the war party approach approaching ing and hidden himself until they had passed Carefully following he had watched TImi and his followers as ascend ascend the path to the abandoned village seen them eating and then depart Here a moment Cas a pull at this and Tom handed the a bottle of mixed rum and water you look as if you wanted a drink Now go on Castles Well sir before Timi and his crowd which were here her just now left their town he gave orders for another men to start tonight in cane s for town and join him there The reason for this is that although there are plenty of canoes to carry men Timi was afraid that as there are signs of bad weather he be had bad better take half of his infernal cannibals overland in case the whole crowd had to turn back and be disappointed disappointed pointed If there is bad weather the canoes are not to start until it is fine fineas as they will wiIl have to go outside the reef on account of the tIdes Tell TeU me Castles how does Timi know anything about Mrs Ross being on board Ask Pat Pat replied that he had no doubt but that Timi knew exactly the num number number ber of people on board the barque ho how they were armed and much else all this he would learn through some of slave It was easy he said for tor these women to meet one of spies outside the town at night A few days after Ross had bad begun his pearling operations one of these women had escaped and she would certainly have given Timi and much Information especially as asto asto to how the barque was moored We must get back at once sir said Castles even if we have to fight our wa way If any of Timis or canoes try to intercept up they will have their work cut out for our boat can certainly them in any kind of a breeze and if it did fall a calm and we had to fight our long range rides would pull us through as they have nothing but smoothbore mus muskets muskets and only a few at that told me that when the sandalwood Ing brig was cut off and Timi divided all the arms on board between muskets and about twenty cutlasses But we must remember that these Admiralty islanders are about the pluckiest natives in the Pacific Ten years ago a fleet of canoes attacked a little but barque named the Fawn off the west westend westend end of the Island and although her big guns smashed half a dozen of them the rest came on laid alongside and their crews tried to board again and again Thirty or so of them did get over the bulwarks and fought like tig tigers tigers ers and although they were only armed with clubs and daggers they killed seven of the barques hands be before before fore they were wiped out I heard th t the skipper killed nearly a dozen at atone atone one shot from a whalers bomb gun loaded with slugs and only then did they draw off after having lost near nearly nearly ly fifty men Well they will have a tough job if they tackle the Meg leg said Tom and although we carry no big guns there are at least four whalers bomb guns on board Captain Grace brought them from Liverpool to sell but we w e did not meet with any and no noone noone one in Levuka wanted them Now let us start Pat highly elated at the prospect of a fight again led the way and an hour before sunset they had reached the boat taken her over the bar and were spinnIng along before a strong breeze headIng for the passage through the barrier reef They saw several canoes inside the reef engaged In fishing but no attempt was made to intercept them But that they were wen en from the shore was soon made evident by several signal fires the smoke of whiCh could be seen arising from the many small villages along the coast Once outside the roaring line of the barrier reef the boat was kept away on a direct course from town where lived There was such a stiff breeze that Tom felt certain certain tain that Ross would not be out with his divers for there was too much of a aswell aswell swell on the pearling beds for any div 01 to be done doneAs doneAs As night fell the breeze lost its itse e strength but the boat still made great progress and Tom felt a thrill of pride when asked him to let him steer the Sabbie Such a boat as this was never be before before fore built said the speaking in Samoan she to the seas and over them as does a frigate bird when he catches a flying fish in flight Then as they sped on their course under the starlit heavens Pat told them tales of the rather mis his people their ings their former cannibalism theIr rutting cutting off and of the crews of sandalwood and whaling and then spoke of his own Island which was known as Savage Island because Tuti Captain Cook had thrice been repulsed in his attempt to land and make frIends with the people peo people But my land he said though not so great as thine Pat is a much bet better better ter country than thine except that In it there are no streams of fresh water But it s S rich very rich in never have we eaten human flesh and he bent over the g gunwale and spat in disgust The wind had almost died away when as Ute the boat came near the Meg s they were hailed b by an anchor hor chor watch Where are Capt Captain in Grace and Captain Cap Captain tain Ross asked Tom as he stepped on deck Below sir playing euchre with Mrs Irs Ross and the mate CHAPTER X The euchre party broke up very suddenly when Tom and Castles en entered entered the and told their stow story and Pat was isms at once sent on shore o I J tell the news and ask him to come on board He came quickly late as it was and he Grace and Ross were soon in ear earnest ar arnest nest consultation as to the means to tobe tobe be adopted not only to 0 defend the shiP but to In inflict lct a crushing def t upon and his ally Timi Ross always quiet and ble said but little until toward the end of the discussion then he be turned to Castles who was present as inter interpreter preter and asked him when wIlen thought the attack would be made In three or four days ays replied the chief but it may be longer he explaIned would be sure ure to await the arrival of Times Timis fleet of canoes and he was sure that had weather was coming on that it would last for several days and nd that no at tempt to attack the barque would he be made if there was any wind vind for the canoes could not range alongside with without without out getting getting into confusion But he added it may be that there will U be no wind and much rain sonic some night and that is the time when we must keep good watch as the night dIes and dawn comes for the rain hides everything and makes a great noise and the canoes could creep up to the thes ship s Jp without being seen or heard Ross nodded He is quite right about the weather Captain Grace we weare weare are going to have a change chane pretty soon Of that Im certain Now Can Cas ties and he tUrned to the I have a mighty high respect for Xo No rok and want you to tell teU him so be fore I ask him a rather delicate licate ques jues Uon tion Castles translated and the chiefs grIm features relaxed into a smile at Ross complimentary remarks What does Ross desire to ask me he enquired yI I want him to tell me if he will lend us the six brass cannon that were taken from the American which his people cut off here thirty years ago when he had his elbow smashed with a pistol bullet Tell him that I know he has those guns stowed away somewhere and if he wants to see and hIs crowd wiped out he must lend them to us As Castles translated Ross remarks the chiefs eyes opened In astonish astonishment astonishment ment He wondered how Ross knew anything about the brass guns which for thirty years had lain in one of the gamal houses As a matter of fact all that Ross knew was that when the was cut off and her ler crew massacred by people her guns were taken ashore Yes he be said I have the guns but only four The two others sank with the ship when we burned her we had not time to take them away But the four you yon shall have They are buried in one of my gamal housEs and shall be dug up in the morning But ButI I have no powder for them and only ten cannon balls were brought on onshore onshore shore those are in my own house Tell hIm that I dont think I shall want the cannon balls said Ross to but he must get his men to carry the guns over to the point at the east side of the bay Then In Ill have them cleaned and mounted in some sort of fashion canoes rill m have to come in so close to the point to get into the bay that they will be within thirty yards of the muzzles of the guns But 1 me mean n to let them pass in and tackle the ship first then when Captain Grace has given them thema a doing with the four guns and his crews breechloaders Ill be ready for them when they try to get out of the trap I am setting for them Castles explained this to whose eyes gleamed with the anticipative tive lust of slaughter and then as he hc rose to return on shore he asked Sina Ross who was seated at the after end of the cabin listening to the he Jis discus discussion us sion if she would not leave the ship in the morning and stay in the house where she would be a way away from the fighting She thanked aim and re replied replied plied with a smile that she was not afraid and would stay with her hus husband us band either on board the ship or at atthe atthe the place where the guns were to be mounted Ah said the chief admiringly I forgot Thou a gun and shoot straight like him Both Ross and his young wife were excellent shots After breakfast on the following morning Ross Grace Denison and the barques carpenter went on shore to look at the guns which had had dug up in readiness for their removal to the point commanding the entrance to the little bay Their long burial had done them no harm and Ross smiled grimly when the carpenter said he would mount all four on Tough rough car carriages carriages by sunset if he had some assist assistance assistance ance The former carriages had long since gone to decay Whilst the carpenter returned or board for his tool chest and some heavy pieces of timber na natives natives tives under Ross supervision lifted the guns and put them in a position for cleaning this work being under undertaken undertaken taken by Castles and and two white seamen Now said Ross in his slow drawling tones to Grace and Tom come orne with me and Ill show you where the guns are to be mounted Ha Lo the poor Injun is coming too I see Well I guess I can in instruct instruct his untutored mInd some on the subject of how to get even with Va He pointed to who was com coming coming ing toward them followed by several o of his young men who were carrying the ten round shot taken with the guns from the Tell TeU him Castles he said to the that after all they the shot may come in handy so they can hurry them over to 10 the point with us But if will come on board with us presently I will initiate him into the are of making case shot from broken bolts nuts and washers Norak was deeply Interested and in informed informed formed Ross that he had seen both case and chain shot when he was a ab b to him by the captaIn of ofa a Singapore ship Then he gave the white men an im important Important piece of information Imme Immediately Immediately on his returnIng on shore the previous evening he had had hadd all his who were in any way suspected of being friendly to seized and placed in strIct confine confinement confinement ment He had done this on his own In initiative knowing that they would certainly see or hear about the guns being dug up and would would perhaps communicate with wilh V I thought at first he remarked that it would be best to kill them all but knew that hat you white m men n do not like women be being being ing killed Ross slapped him on his shoulder You are a genius I never thought about the slave women Can you make thIs clear to him Castles CHAPTER By noon of the next day the four guns were in position They were 1 placed on their carriages at the ex extreme extreme end of the point and command commanded ed the passage whIch was so narrow that the barque had been through it to her moorings Inside the bay On the side opposite the point which was covered with a low dense s a wall of solid reef the top of which even at hIgh tide was four or five feet above sea level leel This wall which rose from its base formed a perfect and natural break breakwater water waler from the sweeping seas of the barrier reef and ext extended from the west side f the entrance rIght along to the land lana gradually decreasing in height beIght as it joined the shore The distance between the end of the reef at the passage and the muzzle of the guns was less than seventy yards and old Captain Grace shudder shuddered edat ed at the thought of case shot being fired at crowded canoes that would hae ha e to pass within thirty or forty yards of the guns some of them even closer if they came in abreast And although he had declined to let any of his own crew join In the attack Ross had meditated making upon village before the barque sailed for Sydney it was a different matter de defending fending his ship from capture meant that every soul on onboard onboard board would be ruthlessly slaughtered and so he now took a keen and act active active ive interest in the preparations that were beIng made The complement of the barque exclusive of Ross and his histen histen ten divers was and two mates Tom the carpenter boatswain and nine ABs the latter all steady reliable men though several of them were unused to handling bandling firearms In addition to the Sharps rifles that were for the ships use there was also a cane of twelve ing Belgian made weapons Intended for sale to natives for These guns he had been unable to sell either in Samoa or to his present satisfaction for they would certainly inflict greater losses at a short range upon a boarding party than the rifles Two of the whalers he mounted or rather slung in the mizzen mizzen zen rigging lust just above the rail and two on the topgallant forecastle For these and for the bIg guns onshore on shore there was an ample supply of ammunition tion for the former there was a keg of in the Arctic seas and especially on the Alaskan coast when the sea salmon are in season the frequently fire a charge of buckshot from a into the swarming masses of fish killing hun hundreds hundreds at one shot Ross had been busy preparing his cutting up rod iron into inch lengths and packing the pieces tight ly In salmon tins which just fitted the bore of the guns In Inthis Inthis this work he was eagerly assisted by and his admirIng natives The chief had bad also made separate preparations preparations of his own of which Ross had greatly approved All along the westside west westsIde sIde of the little bay and especially about the masked battery huge tor torches torches ches of dry cocoanut leaves had been placed in readiness to be lit at a sig signal signal nal to be given by him himI I think said Ross that day at din dinner dinner |