Several canoes near the floating platforms were torn asunder and sank,
while men were killed or wounded out of all proportion to the number of
craft disabled.
Courtenay at once picked up the governing cord of the mine which he was
about to fire in the first instance. He felt that the Alaculof
flotilla would act in future on the "once bitten twice shy" principle
where those innocent-looking little poles showed above sea level, and
he must strike fierce blows while the opportunity served. The nine
canoes on the south were not clustered around the bomb in the same
manner as the others, but they were near enough to sustain heavy loss,
and their affrighted crews had ceased to ply their paddles. So he
fired that shell also, and had the satisfaction of seeing two more of
the frail craft capsize.
He heard the crash of bullets against the ship's sides; a volley of
stones smashed several more panes of stout glass; many arrows were
embedded in the woodwork: but he calmly pulled another cord, and blew a
single loud blast on the siren. That was the agreed signal to warn
those below that they must expect to be attacked from the fore part of
the vessel.
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