Gascoyne, The Sandal Wood Trader | Page 6

for he laid himself down on the shore, turned his back on the
ocean, pillowed his head on a tuft of grass, and deliberately went to
sleep.
Now was the time for the savage to wreak his vengeance on his enemy;
but, fortunately, that villain, despite his subtlety and cunning, had not
conceived the possibility of the youth indulging in such an unnatural
recreation as a nap in the forenoon. He had, therefore, retired to his
native jungle, and during the hour in which Henry was buried in repose,
and in which he might have accomplished his end without danger or
uncertainty, he was seated in a dark, cave, moodily resolving in his
mind future plans of villainy, and, indulging the hope that on the
youth's returning homeward be would be more successful in finding a
favorable opportunity to take his life.
During this same hour it was that our low-hulled little schooner hove in
sight on the horizon, ran swiftly down before the breeze, cast anchor in
the bay, and sent her boat ashore, as we have seen, with the captain, the
surly man called Dick, and our friend John Bumpus.
It happened that, just as the boat ran under the shelter of a rocky point
and touched the strand, Keona left his cave for the purpose of observing

what young Stuart was about. He knew that he could not have retraced
his homeward way without passing within sight of his place of
concealment.
A glance of surprise crossed his dark visage as he crept to the edge of
the underwood and saw the schooner at anchor in the bay. This was
succeeded by a fiendish grin of exultation as his eye fell on the
slumbering form of the youth. He instantly took advantage of the
opportunity; and so deeply was he engrossed with his murderous
intention, that he did not observe the captain of the schooner as he
turned a projecting rock, and suddenly appeared upon the scene. The
captain, however, saw the savage, and instantly drew back, signing, at
the same time, to his two men to keep under cover.
A second glance showed him the sleeping form of Henry, and, almost
before he had time to suspect that foul play was going on, he saw the
savage glide from the bushes to the side of the sleeper, raise his spear,
and poise it for one moment, as if to make sure of sending it straight to
the youth's heart.
There was not a moment to lose. The captain carried a short carbine in
his hand, with which he took aim at the savage,--going down on one
knee to make a surer shot, for the carbine of those days was not to be
depended on at a distance much beyond a hundred yards; and as the
actors in this scene were separated by even more than that distance,
there was a considerable chance of missing the savage and hitting the
young man.
This, however, was not a moment to calculate chances. The captain
pulled the trigger, and the crash of the shot was followed by a howl
from the savage, as his uplifted arm dropped to his side, and the spear
fell across the face of the sleeper. Henry instantly awoke, and sprang up
with the agility of a panther. Before he could observe what had
occurred, Keona leaped into the bushes disappeared. Henry at once
bounded after him; and the captain, giving vent to a lusty cheer, rushed
across the beach, and sprang into the forest, closely followed by surly
Diet and John Bumpus, whose united cheers of excitement and shouts
of defiance awoke the echoes of the place with clamorous discords.

CHAPTER III.
A BOUGH WALK ENLIVENED BY RAMBLING TALK--BUMPUS
IS "AGREEABLE."
It is said, in the proverbial philosophy of nautical men, that "a stern
chase is a long one." The present instance was an exception to the
general rule. Keona was wounded. Young Stuart was fleet as the
antelope, and strong as a young lion. In these circumstances it is not
surprising that, after a run of less than a quarter of a mile, he succeeded
in laying his hands on the neck of the savage and hurling him to the
ground, where he lay panting and helpless, looking up in the face of his
conqueror with an expression of hopeless despair; for savages and
wicked men generally are wont to judge of others by themselves, and to
expect to receive such treatment from their enemies as they themselves
would in similar circumstances accord.
The fear of instant death was before his eyes, and the teeth of Keona
chattered in his head, while his face grew more hideous than ever, by
reason of its becoming livid.
His fears were groundless. Henry Stuart was not a savage.