By Rock and Pool on an Austral Shore, and Other Stories

n of attack, the ship and barque kept closely together, so closely that North, who had not yet placed foot on board the

ined and passed up to the poop one by one, to old Kanka, who was in command of the contingent of Lele natives on board the barque. Similar preparations with small arms were being made on board the Iroquois by her crew which, largely composed of Chilenos, Portuguese, and Polynesians, had eagerly accepted the offer of twenty dollars for each man for a few hours' fighting. North alone had spoken against and tried to dissuade his fellow-officers from taking any active part in the expedition, but his remonstrances fell upon unheeding ears. The details of the scheme to surprise the unsuspecting inhabitants of the two villages had filled him with unutterable horror and indignation, and all sorts of wild plan

etween South Harbour and Leassé, and then, hidden by the dense forest, await the appearance of the ships off the doomed villages on the following afternoon. The six boats-two from the Lucy May and four from the Iroquois -were to pull ashore as soon as the ships were off Leassé and take up positions, three to the north and three to the south, so as to cut off all who

g and listening to the soft hum of the surf on the barrier reef a mile away. On deck all was quiet, only the fourth mate and three of the

on the cabin deck, and then

come in

t of a young man named Macy, his ow

losed the cabin door behind him, and

hose damned savages are going to kill all the poor women and children. I've come to ask you what I'm to do if I'm ordered

I wish there were more of us on board of our way of thinking. I wish we could leave the s

North. If you mean to take to

from being mixed up in this murderous business-I want to prevent it altoge

sir, over th

hip to-night, cut across the island, and save the poor people

s rough hand. "We must

deck, and North took his pistols from their racks, filled his coat pock

come with him, North ordered the boat to be hauled alongside. A quarter of an hour later he and Macy stepped out upon the shore under the shadow of a high b

the two villages. After a careful search the track was found, and the bright stars shining through the canopy of leaves overhead gave them sufficient light to pursue their way. For two hours they toiled along through the silent forest, hearing no sound except now and then the affrighted rush of some startled

urned the flask to the officer, "that th

. He's gone away to anoth

Ledyard, who settled in Leassé a few years ago, taught the people there how to use their muskets in a fight, when Charlik's father tried to destroy them time and again; the other is that his wife is a

nd. "And to think that I have saile

n! Ross, I believe, wanted him to spare 'em, but the young cut-throat said 'No.' I heard all this from two men-the chap from

feet. "The cold-blooded wretches! Com

n country, they saw far beneath them the gleaming sea. And here, amidst a dense patch of pandanus palms, the path they had followed

see a light down there. It

, and there, two hundred feet below them, they saw the high-peaked, saddle-backed houses of Leassé village standing clearly out in the starlight. But at this point their fur

e to be plenty of them who can speak a litt

the spot immediately over the villag

ere, you s

y rose in alarm from their perches in the forest trees, mingled with the barking

e clamour had somewhat subsided,

e! Awake, yo

natives-smote the stillness of the night. Then the bright light of torches of coconut leaves flashed below,

here! Who

Bear a hand with a torch; we have lost the track." Then as something

am Tom L

light quickly. You and your

ght, and presently a tall, bearded, white man appeared, followed by half a dozen nat

him, North told his story

aven, they shall get a bloody welcome! Now, co

lit up by many fires and filled with alarmed

et of foot to M?ut and bid him tell Nena, the chief, and his head men to come to my

e. A woman, young, slender, and fair-skinned, met them at the door. Behind her were s

nglish, "these are friends. They have come to warn us. That young hell-pup, Charlik, is a

r hatred that for ten years had existed between the people of Leassé and the old king; and then-he set his teeth-how that Sé, the friendly sister of the young king, had once sen

e were well prepared to resist an attack, I left in my cutter on a trading voyage to Ponapé. Three da

d fro, muttering to hims

join your fortunes with mine? I have long thought of leaving this island and settling in Ponapé. There is money to be made there. Join me and be my partners. My cutter is now hauled up on th

stand by you, Ledyard. We do not want to ever