Gascoyne, the Sandal-Wood Trader

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

  THE GOAT'S PASS--AN ATTACK, A BLOODLESS VICTORY, AND A SERMON.

  When Ole Thorwald was landed at the foot of that wild gorge in thecliffs, which has been designated the Goat's Pass, he felt himself to bean aggrieved man, and growled accordingly.

  "It's too bad o' that fire-eating fellow to fix on _me_ for thisparticular service," said he to one of the settlers named Hugh Barnes, acooper, who acted as one of his captains; "and at night too, just as ifa man of my years were a cross between a cat, (which everybody knows cansee in the dark,) and a kangaroo, which is said to be a powerful leaper,though whether in the dark or the light I don't pretend to know--notbeing informed on the point. Have a care, Hugh. It seems to me you'regoing to step into a quarry hole, or over a precipice. How my old fleshquakes, to be sure! If it was only a fair flat field and open day, withany odds you like against me, it would be nothing; but this abominableGoat's--Hah! I knew it. Help! hold on there! murder!"

  Ole's sudden alarm was caused by his stumbling in the dark over the rootof a shrub which grew on the edge of, and partly concealed, a precipice,over which he was precipitated, and at the foot of which his mangled andlifeless form would soon have reposed, had not his warlike forefathers,being impressed with the advantage of wearing strong sword-belts,furnished the sword which Ole wore with such a belt as was not only onall occasions sufficient to support the sword itself, but which, on thisparticular occasion, was strong enough to support its owner when he wassuspended from, and entangled with, the shrubs of the cliff.

  A ray of light chanced to break into the dark chasm at the time, andrevealed all its dangers to the pendulous Thorwald so powerfully that hepositively howled with horror.

  The howl brought Hugh and several of his followers to his side, and theywith much difficulty, for he was a heavy man, succeeded in dragging himfrom his dangerous position and placing him on his feet, in whichposition he remained for some time speechless and blowing.

  "Now, I'll tell ye what it is, boys," said he at length, "if ever youcatch me going on an expedition of this sort again, flay me alive--that's all--don't spare me. Pull off the cuticle as if it were a glove,and if I roar don't mind--that's what I say."

  Having said this, the veteran warrior smiled a ghastly smile, as if theidea of being so excruciatingly treated were rather pleasant thanotherwise.

  "You're not hurt, I hope," inquired Hugh.

  "Hurt! yes, I _am_ hurt--hurt in my feelings--not in my body, thanks tomy good sword and belt; but my feelings are injured. That villain, thatrascal, that pirate--as I verily believe him to be--selected mespecially for this service, I am persuaded, just because he knew me tobe unfit for it. Bah! but I'll pay him off for it. Come, boys,forward--perhaps, in the circumstances, it would be more appropriate tosay, upward! We must go through with it now for our retreat is cut off.Lead the way, Hugh, your eyes are younger and sharper than mine, and ifyou chance to fall over a cliff, pray give a yell, like a good fellow,so that I may escape your sad fate."

  In the course of half an hour's rough scramble, the party gained thecrest of the Goat's Pass and descended in rear of the native village.The country over which they had to travel, however, was so broken and sobeset with rugged masses of rock as to retard their progressconsiderably, besides causing them to lose their way more than once. Itwas thus daybreak before they reached the heights that overlooked thevillage, and the shot from the _Avenger_ with the broad side from thefrigate was delivered just as they began to descend the hill.

  Ole, therefore, pushed on with enthusiasm to attack the village in rear,but he had not advanced half a mile when the peculiar, and to himinexplicable, movements of the two vessels which have been alreadydescribed, took place, leaving the honest commander of the land forcesin a state of great perplexity as to what was meant by his naval allies,and in much doubt as to what he ought to do.

  "It seems to me," said he to his chiefs in a hastily summoned council ofwar, "that we are all at sixes and sevens. I don't understand whatmanoeuvres these naval men are up to and I doubt if they knowthemselves. This being the case, and the fleet, (if I may so name it,)having run away, it behoves us, my friends, to shew these sailors how wesoldiers do our duty. I would advise, therefore, that we should attackat once. But as we are not a strong party, and as we know not howstrong the savages may be, I think it my duty before leading you on, toask your opinions on the point."

  The officers whose opinions were thus asked were Hugh Barnes, alreadymentioned; Terence Rigg the blacksmith of the settlement, and JohnThomson the carpenter. These, being strong of body, powerful of will,and intelligent withal, had been appointed to the command of companies,and when on duty were styled "captain" by their commanding officer, whowas, when on duty, styled "general" by them.

  Ole Thorwald, be it remarked in passing, was a soldier at heart. Havinggone through a moderate amount of military education, and possessingconsiderable talent in the matter of drill, he took special pride intraining the natives and the white men of the settlement to act inconcert and according to fixed principles. The consequence was that,although his men were poorly armed, he had them under perfect command,and could cause them to act unitedly at any moment.

  The captains having been requested to give their opinions, Captain Rigg,being senior, observed that his vote was for "goin' at 'em at wance,neck or nothing," to which warlike sentiment he gave peculiar emphasisby adding, "an' no mistake," in a very decided tone of voice.

  "That's wot I says, too, General," said Captain Thomson, the carpenter.

  Captain Barnes being of the same opinion, General Thorwald said--

  "Well then, gentlemen, we shall attack without delay;" and proceeded tomake the necessary arrangements.

  When the _Talisman_ fired her broadside of blank cartridge at the nativevillage, there was not a solitary warrior in it--only aged men, womenand children. These, filled with unutterable consternation on hearingthe thunderous discharge, sent up one yell of terror and forthwith tookto their heels and made for the hills _en masse_, never once lookingbehind them, and, therefore, remaining in ignorance of the ulteriorproceedings of the ships.

  It was some time before they came in sight of Ole Thorwald and his men.

  The moment they did so Ole gave the word to charge, and, whirling hissword round his head, set the example. The men followed with a yell.The poor savages turned at once and fled--such of them at least as werenot already exhausted by their run up hill--and the rest, consistingchiefly of old men and children, fell on their knees and faces andhowled for mercy.

  As soon as the charging host became aware of the character of the enemy,they came came to a sudden halt.

  "Sure it's owld men and women we're about to kill!" cried Captain Rigg,lowering his formidable forehammer, with which, in default of a betterweapon, he had armed himself, "but hooray! Gineral, there may be lotso' the warrior reptiles in among the huts, and them poor craturs havebeen sent out to decaive us."

  "That's true. Forward my lads!" shouted Ole--and again the armycharged--nor did they stop short until they had taken possession of thevillage, when they found that all the fighting men were gone.

  This being happily accomplished without blood shed, Ole Thorwald, like awise general, took the necessary steps to insure and complete hisconquest. He seized all the women and children and shut them up in ahuge temple built of palm-trees and roofed with broad leaves. Thisedifice was devoted to the horrible practice of cutting up human bodiesthat were intended to be eaten.

  Ole had often heard of the cannibalism that is practised by most of theSouth Sea islanders, though some tribes are worse than others, but hehad never before this day come directly in contact with it. Here,however, there could be no doubt whatever of the fact. Portions ofhuman bodies were strewn about this hideous temple--some parts in a rawand bloody condition, as if they had just been cut from a lately slainvictim; others in a baked state as if ready to form part of someterrible banquet.

  Sick at hear
t, Ole Thorwald turned from this sight with loathing.Concluding that the natives who practised such things could not be verymuch distressed by being shut up for a time in a temple dedicated to thegratification of their own disgusting tastes, he barricaded the entrancesecurely, placed a guard over it, and hurried away to see that two otherbuildings, in which the remainder of the women and children had beenimprisoned, were similarly secured and guarded. Meanwhile the stalwartknight of the forehammer, to whom the duty had been assigned, placedsentries at the various entrances to the village, and disposed his menin such a way as to prevent the possibility of being taken by surprise.

  These various arrangements were not made a moment too soon. Thesavages, as we have said in a former chapter, rushed towards theirvillage from all quarters, on hearing the thunder of the great guns.They were now arriving in scores, and came rushing over the brow of theneighbouring hill, and down the slope that rose immediately in rear oftheir rude homes.

  On finding that the place was occupied by their enemies they set up ayell of despair, and retired to a neighbouring height, where Ole couldsee, by their wild gesticulations, that they were hotly debating whatshould be done. It soon became evident that an attack would be made,for, as their comrades came pouring in, the party from the settlementwas soon greatly outnumbered.

  Seeing this, and knowing that the party under command of Henry Stuartwould naturally hasten to his aid as soon as possible, Ole sought tocause delay by sending out a flag of truce.

  The natives had been so long acquainted with the customs of theEuropeans that they understood the meaning of this, and the chief of thetribe, at once throwing down his club, advanced fearlessly to meet theChristian native sent out with the flag.

  The message was to the effect that if they, the enemy, should dare tomake an attack, all the women and children then in the hands of thesettlers should have their heads chopped off on the spot!

  This was a startling announcement, and one so directly in opposition tothe known principles of the Christians, that the heathen chief wasstaggered and turned pale. He returned to his comrades with thehorrifying message, which seemed to them all utterly unaccountable. Itwas quite natural for themselves to do such a deed, because they heldthat all sorts of cruelties were just in war. But their constantexperience had been that, when a native became a follower of theChristian missionary, from that moment he became merciful, especiallytowards the weak and helpless. Counting upon this, they were stunned aswell as astonished at Thorwald's message; for they believed implicitlythat he meant to do what he threatened. They did not know that Ole,although a worthy man, was not so earnest a believer in all Mr Mason'sprinciples, but that he could practise on their credulity in time ofneed. Like the missionary, he would rather have died than havesacrificed the life of a woman or child; but, unlike him, he had noobjection to deceive in order to gain time.

  As it turned out, his threat was unnecessary, for Henry and his men wereclose at hand; and before the natives could make up their minds what todo, the whole band came pouring over the hill, with Jo Bumpus far aheadof the rest, leaping and howling like a maniac with excitement.

  This decided the natives. They were now outnumbered and surrounded.The principal chief, therefore, advanced towards Bumpus with a piece ofnative cloth tied to the end of his war-club, which he brandishedfuriously by way of making it plain that his object was not war, butpeace!

  Naturally enough, the seaman misinterpreted the signal, and there is nodoubt that he would have planted his knuckles on the bridge of the noseof that swarthy cannibal had not Henry Stuart made use of hisextraordinary powers of speed. He darted forward, overtook Jo, and,grasping him round the neck with both arms, shouted--

  "It's a flag of truce, man!"

  "You don't say so? well, who'd ha' thought it. It don't look like one,so it don't."

  With this remark, Jo subsided into a peaceable man. Pulling a quid outof his pocket, he thrust it into his cheek, and, crossing his arms onhis breast, listened patiently--though not profitably, seeing that hedid not understand a word--to the dialogue that followed.

  It will be remembered that poor Mr Mason, after being saved by Henry,was taken into the gig of the _Talisman_ and put ashore. After the twovessels had disappeared, as has been already described, Henry at onceled his party towards the native village, knowing that Ole Thorwaldwould require support, all the more that the ship had failed to fulfilher part in the combined movement.

  As the almost heartbroken father had no power to render farther aid tohis lost child, he suffered himself to be led, in a half-bewilderedstate, along with the attacking party under his young friend. He wasnow brought forward to parley with the native chief.

  The missionary's manner and aspect at once changed. In the hope ofadvancing the cause of his Master, he forgot, or at least restrained,his own grief for a time.

  "What would the chief say to the Christians?" he began, on beingconfronted with the savage and some of his warriors who crowded roundhim.

  "That he wishes to have done with war," replied the man.

  "That is a good wish, but why did the chief begin war?"

  "Keona began it!" said the savage, angrily. "We thought our wars withthe Christians were going to stop. But Keona is bad. He put the warspirit into my people."

  Mr Mason knew this to be true.

  "Then," said he, "Keona deserves punishment."

  "Let him die," answered the chief, and an exclamation of assent brokefrom the other natives. Keona himself, happening to be there, becamepale and looked anxious, but remained where he stood nevertheless, withhis arms crossed on his dark breast. A bandage of native cloth was tiedround his wounded arm. Without saying a word, he undid this, tore itoff; and allowed the blood to ooze from the re-opened wound.

  It was a silent appeal to the feelings and the sense of justice of hiscomrades, and created a visible impression in his favour.

  "That wound was received by one who would have been a murderer!" saidMr Mason, observing the effect of this action.

  "He struck me!" cried Keona, fiercely.

  "He struck you in defending his own home against a cowardly attack,"answered the missionary.

  At this point Ole Thorwald saw fit to interfere. Seeing that thenatives were beginning to argue the case, and knowing that no good couldcome from such a course, he quietly observed:--

  "There will be neither wife nor child in this place if I do but hold upmy hand."

  The missionary and his party did not, of course, understand thisallusion, but they understood the result, for the savages at oncedropped their tones, and the chief sued earnestly for peace.

  "Chiefs and warriors," said Mr Mason, raising his hand impressively, "Iam a man of peace, and I serve the Prince of peace. To stop this war iswhat I desire most earnestly, and I desire above all things that you andI might henceforth live in friendship, serving the same God and Saviour,whose name is Jesus Christ. But your ways are not like our ways. If Ileave you now, I fear you will soon find another occasion to renew thewar, as you have often done before. I have you in my power now. If youwere to fight with us we could easily beat you, because we are strongerin numbers and well armed. Yes, I have you in my power, and, with theblessing of my God, I will keep you in my power _for ever_!"

  There was a visible fall in the countenances of the savages, whoregarded this strange announcement as their death-warrant. Some of themeven grasped their clubs and looked fiercely at their enemies, but aglance from Ole Thorwald quieted these restive spirits.

  "Now, chiefs and warriors, I have two intentions in regard to you,"continued Mr Mason. "The one is that you shall take your clubs,spears, and other weapons, and lay them in a pile on this mound, afterwhich I will make you march unarmed before us half way to oursettlement. From that point you shall return to your homes. Thus youshall be deprived of the power of treacherously breaking that peacewhich you know in your hearts you would break if you could.

  "My second intention is that the whole of your tr
ibe--men, women, andchildren--shall now assemble at the foot of this mound and hear what Ihave got to say to you. The first part of this plan I shall carry outby force, if need be.--But for the second part--_I must have your ownconsent_. I may not force you to listen if you are not willing tohear."

  At the mention of the women and children being required to assemblealong with them, the natives pricked up their ears, and, as a matter ofcourse, they willingly agreed to listen to all that the missionary hadto say to them.

  This being settled, and the natives knowing, from former experience,that the Christians never broke faith with them, they advanced to themound pointed out and threw down their arms. A strong guard was placedover these; the troops of the settlement were disposed in such a manneras to prevent the possibility of their being recovered, and then thewomen and children were set free.

  It was a noisy and remarkable meeting that which took place between themen and women of the tribe on this occasion; but soon surprise andexpectation began to take the place of all other feelings as the strangeintentions of the missionary were spoken of, and in a very short timeMr Mason had a large and most attentive congregation.

  Never before had the missionary secured such an opportunity! Hiseccentric method of obtaining a hearing had succeeded beyond hisexpectations. With a heart overflowing with gratitude to God he stoodup and began to preach the Gospel.

  Mr Mason was not only eccentric, but able and wise. He made the mostof his opportunity. He gave them a _very_ long sermon that day; but heknew that the savages were not used to sermons, and that they would notthink it long! His text was a double one--"The soul that sinneth itshall die," and "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt besaved."

  He preached that day as a man might who speaks to his hearers for thefirst and last time, and, in telling of the goodness, the mercy, and thelove of God, the bitter grief of his own heart was sensibly abated.

  After his discourse was over and prayer had been offered up, the savagewarriors were silently formed into a band and marched off in front ofthe Christians to the spot where Mr Mason had promised to set themfree. They shewed no disinclination to go. They believed in the goodfaith of their captors. The missionary had, indeed, got them into hispower that day. Some of them he had secured _for ever_!