CHAPTER XXVI
A GREAT DISASTER
The natives had furnished themselves with torches made from thebranches of resinous trees, and in the ruddy flare the painted bodiesof the warriors made an easy mark.
"Three hundred yards," said Mr. McKay, setting up the backsight of hisrifle. "Fire rapidly, but aim low. We may check the rush before theycome to close quarters."
The sharp reports of the rifles echoed along the rocky walls of thedefile, and a series of loud shrieks told that the fire had not been invain. Yet the onward rush was apparently unchecked, for though severalof the torches were extinguished, the savages still rushed to theattack.
"Where's the searchlight?" muttered Mr. McKay, as he thrust a freshclip of cartridges into his magazine.
At that moment the giant beam swung majestically round and fixed itselfupon the gorge.
Under the powerful rays the scene of horror was thrown into highrelief. The upper part of the defile was literally choked with humanbeings. A few of the foremost warriors, drawing clear of the press,had managed to evade the death-dealing volleys, and with brandishedclubs and spears were rushing upon the barricade.
This much the defenders saw as the first flash of the searchlight wasthrown upon the scene. The next instant the shouts of triumph and paingave place to cries of terror.
The blinding rays, coming apparently from out of the earth, were farmore to be feared than the bullets. To the savage mind it wasmagic--black magic.
The warlike mob seemed to melt away. Some of the warriors, throwingdown their weapons, rushed from the scene of action with their armspressed tightly across their eyes as if to shut out the penetratingbeams; others dropped where they stood, grovelling in the dust anduttering cries, while in the space of five minutes the defile wasdeserted, save by the dead and wounded and a few of the natives, whoseterror seemed to have rooted them to the earth.
"That's spotted them!" exclaimed Andy, as he threw down his over-heatedrifle. "I hope it will scare them right off the island."
"It has worked wonders," assented Mr. McKay. "But be careful, some ofthose men are not dead, I feel sure. Bring down every man you seemoving."
Rifle on shoulder the lads waited. They quite realised the danger ofallowing the natives to lurk in the defile, and as each cautiouslymoving body could be seen, as a terrified warrior slowly recovered fromhis panic, a carefully aimed shot caused him to fall.
"We are comparatively secure till daylight," said Mr. McKay. "They'vehad another lesson. Andy, you might relieve Terence at thesearchlight. Keep it fixed on the defile, though at intervals youmight direct it seawards. Quexo, I want you to carry up as many pailsof water as you can to Blight's cave. Ellerton, you're feeling fit, Ihope? Will you keep a look-out, I am going to have forty winks."
It was an exaggerated "forty winks." Mr. McKay, dead beat with hisexertions, slept like a log till daybreak, Terence keeping him company.
Ellerton had meanwhile climbed over the stockade and succeeded inbringing back several of the terrified sheep, which throughout thenight had been huddled together in helpless terror.
Beyond an occasional shot as a few of the wretched natives attempted towriggle out of the death-trap, the rest of the night had passed withoutfurther disturbance; but the dawn revealed a different state of affairs.
The discomfited savages were evidently built of stern stuff, for assoon as it was light, undaunted by their defeat in the hours ofdarkness, they took possession of the summit of the cliff overlookingthe defenders' lines.
Standing on the very edge of the precipice, like bronzed statues,several of the chiefs surveyed the scene beneath them, till, havingtaken in all that they wanted, they withdrew to the main body ofwarriors.
Instantly the fierce shouts of the savages rent the air, and a showerof stones and throwing-spears was hurled upon the white men's defences.
The missiles rattled on the iron roof of the house and upon the top ofthe shelter over the searchlight; but the defenders, safe within thecovered-in barricade, were secure from the furious hail, though unableto reply by a single shot. Several of the sheep were transfixed byspears, each casualty being greeted with a hoarse roar of delight fromthe attackers.
Terence, however, who had returned to his post at the seaward side ofthe terrace, saw the possibility of the searchlight being damaged bystones, and, regardless of the danger, he rushed from his shelter toplace a screen of planks over the partially exposed instrument.
His appearance was the signal for a redoubled discharge of missiles,but coolly he continued his task.
"Get back to cover!" shouted Mr. McKay.
At that moment a stone caught the lad in the side, and staggering a fewpaces he fell.
A yell of triumph greeted the success of the savages; but without amoment's hesitation Ellerton rushed through the danger zone. Unscathedhe gained his friend's side, and to his relief found that the missilehad merely winded him.
Fortunately Terence had the presence of mind to stagger to the remoteside of the searchlight hut, where the two lads were protected from thehailstorm of stones.
"Are you fit for a dash?" asked Ellerton after a while.
"Yes," replied Terence, "I'm ready now."
Seizing their rifles, the two friends rushed at top speed across theopen ground and gained the shelter of the palisade guarding thecliff-path. Here they were, so to speak, on the wrong side of thefence, and had there been any savages on the shore their position wouldhave been critical in the extreme.
As it was, they were able to keep up a constant fire upon the nativeson the cliff; but their foes seemed totally indifferent to the rifles,though man after man was observed to fall.
The savages had not been idle. Realising that the buildings and thebarricade at the end of the defile were proof against stones andspears, they rolled an enormous stone to the edge of the cliff with theintention of dropping it upon the roofed-in stockade.
"Look out!" shouted Ellerton. "There's a rock about to fall on yourheads!"
Taking advantage of the warning shout, Mr. McKay, Quexo, and Andycrossed the covered way to the opposite side of the defile. Not amoment too soon.
In spite of a couple of successful shots by Ellerton, who managed tobowl over one of the most active of the savages who were engaged inrolling the ponderous rock, the mass of stone rushed down the slope andshot clear of the cliff.
The next instant it crashed through the frail roof of the barricade,and, in addition, smashed a huge gap in the wall of packing-cases andchests.
"A near shave," ejaculated Mr. McKay. "If they keep that game up weshall soon be without a roof to our heads."
Emboldened by their success, a considerable number of the savagesworked their way round to the head of the gorge with the intention ofcharging the shattered defences, the remaining natives still keeping upa telling discharge from the brink of the cliff.
"I must rush it," said Ellerton hurriedly, as he grasped the state ofaffairs. "Keep a good look-out along the shore, Terence. If I fall,don't attempt a rescue; there are not enough of us to throw ourselvesaway like that."
Bending low, the lad ran across the danger zone once more, and althoughseveral spears fell close to him, he gained the side of his companionsin safety.
Seen by day, the advance of the savages had an even more fearfulappearance than the night attack. Brandishing their weapons anduttering awful yells, they rushed down the gorge, with one object inview. They meant to come to hand-grips with the stubborn defenders ofthe barricade.
"Now, Andy," remarked Mr. McKay quietly, "reserve your fire till thethickest of the press passes yonder rock, then aim carefully at thatcanister. Go on firing, you," he added to the other two lads.
The execution caused by the three rifles amongst that solid pack ofhowling savages was great. No body of white men would have faced it,but undaunted the warriors swept on.
Andy, finger on trigger, watched the advance till the critical moment;but his arm was not so fir
m as it ought to have been, and the bulletstruck the rock a foot to the left of the tin of explosives.
"Miss, by Jove!" he exclaimed savagely as he jerked open the breach andejected the empty cylinder.
Ere he could again take aim, Mr. McKay's rifle spoke. There was ablinding glare, followed by a deafening report, and the close ranks ofthe savages seemed to be swept aside as if by a gigantic flail. Notonly did the dynamite charge scatter death amongst the natives, but theconcussion brought down huge masses of rock from the cliffs, their falladding to the terror and confusion of the attackers.
"That's fifty of them at the very least," exclaimed Andy. "A few morecoups like that, and we'll wipe them all out."
"It will teach them caution, I'm afraid," was his father's reply. "Butwe've done very well up to the present. How's Terence?"
"He was only slightly hurt," replied Ellerton.
"No sign of any canoes?"
"No, sir."
"Thank Heaven for that," replied Mr. McKay fervently.
"The explosion also sent off the other canisters," observed Andy."Shall we place some others in the gorge when it is dark?"
"I don't think they will attempt that way again," replied Mr. McKay."They've had a rare fright, both by day and night."
"I noticed a crowd of them on the cliffs immediately above the cavewhere the rest of the dynamite is stored," paid Ellerton. "If we canuse the stuff to no better purpose, why not set a time-fuse, and givethem another surprise?"
"It might be done, but there's a great risk to be run by whoever lightsthe fuse."
"I'm willing to do it," said Ellerton resolutely. "I can creep alongthe base of the cliff so as to be out of sight."
"Then do it, my boy. Now's the time to act, before they have got overtheir last reverse."
Without a moment's delay, Ellerton dashed across the spear-encumberedground and gained the shelter of the overhanging cliffs. Then wavinghis hands to his companions, he disappeared from view.
There was a lull in the fighting. The defenders, anxiously awaitingtheir comrade's return, lay idle within their defences, while thenatives were content to hurl an occasional spear or stone upon theroofs of the buildings to show that they were still determined tocontinue the attack.
"I hope Ellerton's all right," exclaimed Andy uneasily. "He's beengone quite long enough."
"I cannot help thinking the same," replied his father.
They waited another five minutes, then Quexo announced his intention ofgoing to search for Massa El'ton.
"Be careful, then, Quexo," said Andy. "Remember Mr. Ellerton may havelit the fuse--set fire to great bang-up," he added, noting that themulatto looked puzzled over the word "fuse."
"All right, Massa Andy. Quexo he mind take care ob self an' MassaEl'ton."
Another five minutes passed in breathless suspense. What had happened?Ellerton had only to cover a distance of about four hundred yards bothways. Allowing for the rugged nature of the ground, and the necessityfor caution, he ought to have returned several minutes ago. Perhaps hehad stumbled and was lying helpless within a few feet of the heavilycharged mine.
Suddenly two revolver shots rang out in quick succession, and Quexo'svoice was heard shouting for aid.
"Stay here, Andy," exclaimed his father hurriedly, and grasping hisrevolver he ran towards the scene of action, the report of another shotgreeting his ears as he went.
On rounding a spur of the cliff, a strange sight met his gaze. Fromthe summit of the cliff dangled a long rope of cocoa-fibre. Half-wayfrom the ground was a native, evidently badly wounded, grasping theswaying rope with one hand while the other was pressed against hisside. On the ground at about twelve feet from the end of the rope layfour bodies in a heap, and on arriving at the spot Mr. McKay discoveredto his consternation that two of the motionless forms were those of hiscompanions.
Quexo lay uppermost, a jagged spear-head buried deep in his back. Onehurried glance revealed the sad truth that the faithful mulatto wasdead. Under him were the bodies of two natives, both shot through thechest, while underneath the ghastly pile was Ellerton.
As Mr. McKay stooped over the lad, a spear whizzed close to his ear andsank deeply in the ground. It was a stern warning, and Mr. McKay tookadvantage of it. Lifting Ellerton's body, he bore it to the shelter ofthe cliffs, then as the rope began to tremble violently he stepped outa pace, revolver in hand.
He fired, and two bodies came hurtling through space, striking theground with a heavy thud. A lucky shot had severed the rope as cleanlyas if by a knife.
There was no time to be lost. At any moment the mine might be sprung.Hoisting Ellerton's body on his shoulder like a sack of flour, Mr.McKay began his retreat, stepping over the rough ground with giantstrides, till the shelter of the cliffs came to an end. Here hetransferred his burden to his arms, and, protecting it as well as hewas able with his own body, he dashed across the open.
Unscathed he reached the roofed-in stockade, and breathlessly hedeposited the body of his comrade upon the ground.
"Dead?" asked Andy anxiously.
"No, only stunned. It's a bad business."
"And Quexo?"
"He's gone, poor fellow!"
"Oh!" Andy gasped, as if something had struck him; but the blow was amental not a physical injury. "How----"
His words were interrupted by a roar that seemed to shake the island toits very foundations. The cliffs trembled, dislodging masses of looserock, while a blast of air swept over the terrace like a tornado.
The mine had exploded!