登陆注册
4280100000036

第36章

Old Nookamis made for shore in a furious passion, in which he was joined by Shewish, one of the sons of Wicananish, who went off breathing vengeance, and the ship was soon abandoned by the natives.

When Mr. M'Kay returned on board, the interpreter related what had passed, and begged him to prevail upon the captain to make sail, as from his knowledge of the temper and pride of the people of the place, he was sure they would resent the indignity offered to one of their chiefs. Mr. M'Kay, who himself possessed some experience of Indian character, went to the captain, who was still pacing the deck in moody humor, represented the danger to which his hasty act had exposed the vessel, and urged him to weigh anchor. The captain made light of his counsels, and pointed to his cannon and fire-arms as sufficient safeguard against naked savages. Further remonstrances only provoked taunting replies and sharp altercations. The day passed away without any signs of hostility, and at night the captain retired as usual to his cabin, taking no more than the usual precautions.

On the following morning, at daybreak, while the captain and Mr.

M'Kay were yet asleep, a canoe came alongside in which were twenty Indians, commanded by young Shewish. They were unarmed, their aspect and demeanor friendly, and they held up otter-skins, and made signs indicative of a wish to trade. The caution enjoined by Mr. Astor, in respect to the admission of Indians on board of the ship, had been neglected for some time past, and the officer of the watch, perceiving those in the canoe to be without weapons, and having received no orders to the contrary, readily permitted them to mount the deck. Another canoe soon succeeded, the crew of which was likewise admitted. In a little while other canoes came off, and Indians were soon clambering into the vessel on all sides.

The officer of the watch now felt alarmed, and called to Captain Thorn and Mr. M'Kay. By the time they came on deck, it was thronged with Indians. The interpreter noticed to Mr. M'Kay that many of the natives wore short mantles of skins, and intimated a suspicion that they were secretly armed. Mr. M'Kay urged the captain to clear the ship and get under way. He again made light of the advice; but the augmented swarm of canoes about the ship, and the numbers still putting off from shore, at length awakened his distrust, and he ordered some of the crew to weigh anchor, while some were sent aloft to make sail.

The Indians now offered to trade with the captain on his own terms, prompted, apparently, by the approaching departure of the ship. Accordingly, a hurried trade was commenced. The main articles sought by the savages in barter were knives; as fast as some were supplied they moved off, and others succeeded. By degrees they were thus distributed about the deck, and all with weapons.

The anchor was now nearly up, the sails were loose, and the captain, in a loud and peremptory tone, ordered the ship to be cleared. In an instant, a signal yell was given; it was echoed on every side, knives and war-clubs were brandished in every direction, and the savages rushed upon their marked victims.

The first that fell was Mr. Lewis, the ship's clerk. He was leaning, with folded arms, over a bale of blankets, engaged in bargaining, when he received a deadly stab in the back, and fell down the companion-way.

Mr. M'Kay, who was seated on the taffrail, sprang on his feet, but was instantly knocked down with a war-club and flung backwards into the sea, where he was despatched by the women in the canoes.

In the meantime Captain Thorn made desperate fight against fearful odds. He was a powerful as well as a resolute man, but he had come upon deck without weapons. Shewish, the young chief singled him out as his peculiar prey, and rushed upon him at the first outbreak. The captain had barely time to draw a clasp-knife with one blow of which he laid the young savage dead at his feet.

Several of the stoutest followers of Shewish now set upon him. He defended himself vigorously, dealing crippling blows to right and left, and strewing the quarter-deck with the slain and wounded.

His object was to fight his way to the cabin, where there were fire-arms; but he was hemmed in with foes, covered with wounds, and faint with loss of blood. For an instant he leaned upon the tiller wheel, when a blow from behind, with a war-club, felled him to the deck, where he was despatched with knives and thrown overboard.

While this was transacting upon the quarter-deck, a chance-medley fight was going on throughout the ship. The crew fought desperately with knives, handspikes, and whatever weapon they could seize upon in the moment of surprise. They were soon, however, overpowered by numbers, and mercilessly butchered.

As to the seven who had been sent aloft to make sail, they contemplated with horror the carnage that was going on below.

Being destitute of weapons, they let themselves down by the running rigging, in hopes of getting between decks. One fell in the attempt, and was instantly despatched; another received a death-blow in the back as he was descending; a third, Stephen Weekes, the armorer, was mortally wounded as he was getting down the hatchway.

The remaining four made good their retreat into the cabin, where they found Mr. Lewis, still alive, though mortally wounded.

Barricading the cabin door, they broke holes through the companion-way, and, with the muskets and ammunition which were at hand, opened a brisk fire that soon cleared the deck.

Thus far the Indian interpreter, from whom these particulars are derived, had been an eye-witness to the deadly conflict. He had taken no part in it, and had been spared by the natives as being of their race. In the confusion of the moment he took refuge with the rest, in the canoes. The survivors of the crew now sallied forth, and discharged some of the deck-guns, which did great execution among the canoes, and drove all the savages to shore.

同类推荐
  • 奉和圣制登骊山高顶

    奉和圣制登骊山高顶

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 妙法莲华经

    妙法莲华经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 老君变化无极经

    老君变化无极经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金刚上味陀罗尼经

    金刚上味陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 净土生无生论

    净土生无生论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 创业,你也行(大学生创业故事精选)

    创业,你也行(大学生创业故事精选)

    时代促进创业,创业催生时代。创业作为时代发展的推进器,如今成为我们这个时代的鲜明特征,成了时代主导的向上的潮流,成千上万的青年大学生,已经和正在成为时代创业的主体力量。本书分篇章收录时下大学生创业的多个案例,他们中有手工香皂吧店主、录音棚里的平民歌后、数码时代弄潮儿、美国的“太空中餐”男孩……
  • 日本娱乐家

    日本娱乐家

    郑重声明:新读者请直接从鸟线开始阅读。前面的不看也不影响什么。……1992年,泡沫经济时期即将进入尾声。失去的十年即将结束,景气却根本不见到来……这一年,小猫俱乐部已经解散,ZARD如日中天,SMAP迅速崛起,而未来那个号称年收五十亿的秋元康则早已陷入了生活的最低谷……或许,这是一个最好的时代。群号:717698300
  • 同学请温柔

    同学请温柔

    “唐!亦!熙!”苏以轩头疼的看着眼前的一切,这真的是一个15岁女生的“杰作”吗?他自己都怀疑,这人到底是不是女的?“干嘛?被我震惊到了?别崇拜我,我会骄傲的。”某女不要脸的自夸,还高傲仰起了下巴。“你怎么这么自恋?”“要你管啊,而且,我有自恋的资本,哼!”“啧啧啧,资本?太!平!公!主!”某女气炸了。“苏以轩!我跟你没完!”于是,就有了猫追老鼠,哦不,是女追男的一幕,准确的说,是追杀。
  • The Provincial Letters

    The Provincial Letters

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 软禁(中篇)

    软禁(中篇)

    那几个字通过电话从马滔嘴里吐出来后,韩霄白大松一口气。解决了,总算解决了,而且解决得如此到位,她在电话里欢呼一声:“太好了太好了!”说着话左手下意识地抓了把胸口的衣服——那口紧绷了几个月的气霍然从心头松懈下来时,居然伴随一阵麻辣辣的皮肉骨骼的酸痛。这段时间她真是太紧张了,都紧张到骨头里去了。“我都不知道该怎么感谢你。”韩霄白诚心诚意地说。窗外是5月喧闹稠密的阳光,真是锦上添花的好天气。“说哪去了,老同学客气什么。”马滔说,“到时候把钱准备好。
  • 王爷,别过分

    王爷,别过分

    与太子大婚当日被拒之门外惨遭凌辱沦为笑柄,转眼间便改嫁给太子的皇叔成为当朝最富盛名的轩王正妃。嘲笑我身残?奚落我无能?说我是克二娘克亲娘又克自己的扫把星,只是占着太师嫡女的尊贵身份,才有幸做上了王妃,其实就是天下第一的废物?切,姑奶奶我是真心不想计较。若不是我神机妙算道行高,怎么能亲自设计把自个儿嫁给了如意郎君?瘸女成王妃,是继续掩盖风华还是尽显傲姿绰妁?在太师府隐忍偷生只为不招人耳目活的清静,奈何上天不肯给她这个机会。那她只有奋勇直上,褪尽铅华,将绝代风姿傲立在本属于男儿的朝堂之上,笑傲天下。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 竹马请入瓮

    竹马请入瓮

    这大概是个双向暗恋的故事。宁子衿从不亏待自己的胃,自己平时下个厨也落得自在。直到……她母亲的好友将儿子托付给了她,她才知道,这个锅,她是非接不可了。而他,就且请到锅里来吧。
  • 恋上古代帅公子

    恋上古代帅公子

    一个人见人爱、花见花开的跆拳道女教练。却因过生日,一朋友送的‘生日礼物’而带她穿越到了几千年前的古代。懵懵懂懂中,却遇见了三个愿意为她舍去生命的男人,最后在古代展开了一场轰轰烈烈的爱情。她中了天下之奇毒,无人能救无人能解,要想救治她只有一种办法,那就是寒冰山上的寒冰草,可此草长在千年寒冰之悬崖,无人可摘取,即使摘取到那也必死无疑。最后她是否能度过难关了呢?在历尽千辛万苦之后她又是否会再次回到现代呢?一起期待吧!
  • 泥鳅

    泥鳅

    就在这时,汽车猛然间开动了,我觉得自己身体一颤,像是快要飘了起来。窗外的景物渐渐变得模糊了,我好想睡一觉啊!我想,等我睁开眼睛的时候,也就该到家了。我的身体不受控制地随着汽车摇晃,耳边依稀响起小的时候学过的那首儿歌:池塘的水满了,雨也停了,田边的稀泥里到处是泥鳅,天天我等着你,等着你捉泥鳅……恍惚间,我觉得自己已变成泥鳅潜入水底,任凭谁也别想抓到。
  • 地员

    地员

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。