by Charles King
overboard.
The fire-fiends had had enough of it, and prepared to retire. Grape wasonce more brought to bear on them, and two more canoes were sunk.
The loss to the _Wolverine_ was one man killed and three wounded, butnot severely. As long as a canoe was visible, a determined rifle firewas kept up, and many must have fallen.
When Hall and Reginald went below to report the victory, they found theladies somewhat nervous, and there was little Matty on the table-top,barefooted and in her night-dress. The strange little Yankee maidenwouldn't stop in her state-room, and even when the battle was ragingfiercest she had actually tried to reach the deck!
Then Oscar came down, laughing and gasping, and Matty quickly loweredherself down to hug her darling horsie, as she called him.
"Oh, look, auntie!" she cried, after she had thrown her little armsaround his great neck and kissed him over and over again, "my pinny isall bluggy!"
The night-dress was indeed "bluggy," for poor Oscar had an ugly spearwound in his shoulder. But the doctor soon stitched it, the faithfulfellow never even wincing. Then he licked the doctors red hands andMatty's ear, and then went off on deck to bed.
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Next morning broke bright and crisp and clear, but it was cold, forautumn reigned in this dreary land. Once more a service for the dead,and as the body sank into the deep the poor sailor's messmates turnedsadly away, and more than one brought his arm to bear across his eyes.
As another attack was to be feared, it was determined to punish theislanders--to carry the war on shore, in fact--and so the four largeboats were called away, only a few men being left on board to defend theship. The guns were too heavy to take, but every man had a rifle, tworevolvers and a cutlass.
For so small a vessel, the _Wolverine_ was heavily manned, for from thebeginning Captain Dickson had expected grim fighting.
This attack was more than the natives had calculated on. They did notstand the onset an instant, but fled from their village helter-skelterto the almost inaccessible mountains beyond, dropping their spears andbows to accelerate their flight. But the fire which was poured on themwas a withering one, and brought many to the ground.
Emboldened by their success, Hall, with Dickson and his brave fellows,made a journey of several miles into the interior. The mountains wereeverywhere rugged and stern, and covered on their summits with snow thatno doubt was perpetual.
But in the valleys beneath, which were quite uninhabited except by wildbeasts and birds, were beautiful forests of dark waving cypresses, loftypines, and beeches, their leaves tinted now with rose and yellow. Verysilent and solemn were these woods; but for the savages that even nowmight be hidden in their dark depths, they seemed to woo one to thatpeace that only a forest can give.
A stream was meandering through the valley here, and many a glad fishleaped up from the pools, his scales shining like a rainbow in thesunlight.
All haste was now made to regain the shore, where but a few sailors hadbeen left to guard the boats. Only just in time, for the savages weregathering for another attack, and coming down the hillsides in streams.
A hot volley or two dispersed them, however, and they once more hidbehind the rocks.
Here in the village was evidence that these fire-fiends had been sittingdown to a terrible feast of roasted human flesh! Doubtless they hadkilled the wounded and cooked them. It is a terrible thing to think of,but I have proof that a woman will eat of the dead body of eitherhusband or brother, and the children too will ravenously partake. Idare not tell in a story like this the horrors of savage life that Ihave witnessed. I wish to interest, but not to horrify, my readers.
This village was probably one of the largest in the islands whichconstitute the Tierra del Fuego group. It consisted of nearly ninehundred huts in all, some well-built and comparatively comfortable.First and foremost it was looted, a large cargo of precious skins beingsecured. Some bows and arrows, spears, etc, were taken as curios; then,just as the sun was sinking red behind the sea, every hut and house wasfired.
The blaze was tremendous; and back to the ship, by means of its light,the boats were steered. A breeze having sprung up increased themagnificence of the conflagration, and the sparks, like showers ofgolden snow, were carried far inland and up the mountain sides.
No wonder that Matty was clapping her wee hands and crowing with delightat the beauty of the "bonfire," as she called it.
Happy indeed were the adventurers when the breeze waxed steadier andstronger. It blew from the west, too. The anchors were quicklyhoisted, the ship's head turned to the east, and before two days hadfled she had wormed her way out once more into the open ocean. Theengines had by this time been repaired, but were not now needed, for thebreeze, though abeam, was steady, and good progress was made.
A few days more, and the wind having died down, clear sky by day,star-studded at night, and with sharp frost, the _Wolverine_ was oncemore under steam and forcing her way round the storm-tormented Horn.For the waves are ofttimes houses high here when no wind is blowing, andthey break and toss their white spray far over the green and glitteringsides of the snow-clad bergs.
"And now there came both mist and snow, And it grew wondrous cold; And ice mast-high came floating by, As green as emerald.
"The ice was here, the ice was there, The ice was all around; It cracked and growled, and roared and howled, Like noises in a swound."
But at this time a greater danger than that from the ice wasthreatening, for Norman the Finn was hatching mutiny. Verily a curseseemed to follow the ship wherever she went.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
MUTINY--THE COMING STORM.
Nobody would have credited Williams, the cabin-boy, with very much'cuteness. We never know the hidden depths of even a young lad's mind.
The Finn Norman had in his two countrymen and in the Spaniards five menwilling to do anything. To put it plainly, for gold they would usetheir knives against their dearest friends, and rejoice in it too.
Norman had not only a body of fearful physical strength, but a winningand persuasive tongue, and he wheedled over no less than threeEnglishmen, or rather Scotsmen, to join his forces.
Late one night a half-whispered conversation was held near to the winch.The Finn had been here before--that is, up in the South Pacific--and hecould guide them to an island of gold. And what was it that gold couldnot purchase in this world? he added. "Everyone of you shall bewealthy. We shall then scrape the vessel from stem to stern, alter hername and rigging, and after loading up with gold, sail for distantAustralia. There we shall sell the ship and, going to the diggings fora time, to avoid suspicion, will in a few months return to Sidney orMelbourne as lucky miners. Then hurrah for home!"
"We will join," said the Scotsman, "on one condition."
"And that is?"
"There must be no murder."
"Your request is granted. We will rise suddenly, batten down the menbelow, then rushing aft we shall secure the officers in the saloon. Thevessel will then be ours. But we shall maroon the men on the nearestland, with biscuits and a few arms. The women will be best on board,"he grinned.
"Bah!" said a Spaniard, drawing his ugly knife. "Let us throat them.Dead men tell no tales, you know. Take my advice."
But the marooning was finally decided on, and the mutineers retired totheir bunks or to their duty.
Little did they know that the cabin-boy, with listening ears, thoughalmost frightened out of his life, was hiding behind the winch and hadheard every word they had said.
As soon as it was possible he escaped, and going at once aft, hereported in a frightened whisper all the details of the terrible plot.
"Horrible!" said Dickson.
"Strikes me," said Hall, "that there must be a Jonah on board, or amurderer. Let us draw for him, putting all names in a hat, and thenlynch the fellow!"
"If," said Dickson, "there be a murderer on boa
rd, the fellow is thatFinn."
"Seize the scoundrel at once, then," cried Hall, "and throw him to thesharks or put him in irons."
"No, I'll wait, and Williams shall be our spy."
Nearly all the mutineers were in the same watch, only one good man andtrue being among them. Norman played his game well. He knew that ifsuspected at all, they would be watched by night, so he chose broaddaylight for the awful _denouement_. While the men were below atdinner, those in the cabin all having luncheon, then Norman suddenlygave the preconcerted signal.
The hatches were thrown on in a moment, and screwed down by two men,while the main band rushed aft and secured the saloon door.
"If you value your lives in there," savagely shouted the Finn downthrough the skylight, as that too was being fastened securely down,"you'll keep quiet."
Hall had both his revolvers out in a trice, and fired; but the
