Ere the torches flickered in their
sockets the savages had swarmed over poop and bows. They were tearing
at the canvas shields and sweeping the hurricane deck with showers of
missiles. Tollemache was injured, and Walker. Courtenay had his
forehead cut open. Suarez fell insensible while he was bellowing
curses through the megaphone in the vain hope of frightening the
determined enemy. Two Chileans were down, one struck with a stone and
the other shot through the lungs.
So, at last, the _Kansas_ was in the grip of a savage and implacable
foe. Courtenay, while hauling a steam hose to the weakest point, the
after part of the promenade deck, met Christobal. He clutched the
Spaniard in a way there could be no mistaking.
"Go below!" he muttered in a terrible voice. "I cannot leave the deck.
You must go. And, for God's sake, don't tell her! Let her die without
knowing!"
CHAPTER XV
IN WHICH THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS
When Christobal descended to the saloon he found Elsie holding the
excited dog. It was instantly perceptible that she was not aware of
the grave position of affairs on deck.
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