Part 25 (2/2)
”This” meant cheering and excitement and the issuing of orders which made the deck a busy scene, for the men were beat to quarters ready to meet what promised to be a serious attack. For in the evening light quite a fleet of large canoes crowded with men could be seen coming round a bend of the river, the blades dipping regularly and throwing up the water that flashed in the last rays of the sinking sun, while from end to end the long canoes bristled with spears, and the deep tones of a war song rhythmically accompanied the dipping of the paddles.
”Why, they must be three or four hundred strong, Anderson,” said the captain. ”Fully that, sir.”
”Poor wretches!” muttered the captain. ”I thought we had given them lesson enough for one day.”
”Only enough to set them astir for revenge,” said the lieutenant.
”Well, the lesson must be repeated,” said the captain, shrugging his shoulders. ”See what a shot will do with that leading canoe. We have come upon a warlike tribe, brave enough, or they would not dare to attack a vessel like this.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
DEALING WITH A FLEET.
”I know what I should do,” said Murray, as, forgetting the smarting and stiffness from which he suffered, he stood watching the savage fleet steadily gliding down stream.
”What?” said Roberts.
”Get out of the river as soon as I could. We could sail right away now.”
”Cowardly,” grumbled Roberts. ”Why, it would be throwing away the chance of giving the wretches a severe lesson.”
”They've had one,” said Murray, ”and if we sink half-a-dozen of them they'll be ready enough to come on again.”
”Then we could sink some more. Why, if you sailed away they'd think we were afraid of them.”
”Let them! We know better. It seems a bit horrible with our great power to begin sending grape and canister scattering amongst these slight canoes.”
”Oh yes, horrible enough; but they must be taught that they can't be allowed to make war upon other tribes and sell their prisoners into slavery.”
”I suppose so,” said the lad, with a sigh, possibly due to the pain he still felt from the late fight with the flames.
”Look at that,” whispered Roberts excitedly. ”Why, the skipper seems to think as you do.”
For orders were given, the capstan manned, and the sloop glided towards the anchor by which they now swung, the sails began to fill and help the men in their task, and soon after the anchor stock appeared above the water.
It was quite time, for the canoes were nearing fast, and to the two mids.h.i.+pmen it appeared as if the enemy would be alongside and swarming aboard before their vessel had time to gather way.
”Why don't we fire, Frank?” said Roberts excitedly.
”Because we're not in command,” replied Murray coolly, as he tried to measure mentally the length of time it would take for the leading canoe to reach them, rapidly advancing as it was in obedience to the l.u.s.ty strokes given by some thirty paddles which made the water foam on either side of the frail craft packed with men.
”But it's absurd. The skipper ought to have given the order long ago.”
”And filled the surface with dead and dying men floating and struggling amongst the shattered pieces of the canoe?”
”Yes: why not? It's war, sir--war.”
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