As we have seen, the naval contingent
experienced no difficulty in capturing the schooner, and a little later
the land forces carried out their part of the programme with equal
facility. They merely hid themselves behind some boulders, and leaping
out upon the young American, as he came unsuspectingly swinging down
the trail, overpowered him before he could make a struggle. Tying him
beyond a possibility of escape, they carried him down to the beach,
where they uttered the cries that informed their comrades of their
triumph.
Until this time the schooner had been left at her anchorage, for fear
lest any change in her position might arouse Cabot's suspicions. Now
that they were free to do as they pleased with her the Indians cut her
cable, and, after much awkward effort, succeeded in towing her to the
beach, where they made her fast.
As the darkness and cold of night were now upon them, and as they had
no longer any use for the dinghy, they smashed it in pieces and started
a fire with its shattered timbers. At the same time they broke out
several barrels of provisions, and the entire band, gathering about the
fire, began to feast upon their contents.
In the meantime Cabot and White, in their respective places of
captivity, were equally miserable through their ignorance of what had
happened to each other, and of the fate awaiting them. Of course Cabot
had seen the schooner brought to the beach, while White, still lying on
her cabin floor, was able to guess at her position from such sounds as
came to his ears.
Pages:
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154