and the anxiety born ofthinking about it was harder to bear than the actual battle itself wouldbe.
Dickson was a strictly pious man. Never a morning and never an eveningpassed without his summoning his men to prayers, and in true Scottishfashion reading a portion from the little Bible which, like GeneralGordon, he never failed to carry in his bosom.
I think he did good. I think he made converts. Mind, without anypreaching. He simply led these darkened intellects to the Light, theglorious Light of revealed religion.
The portion of the fort where the guns were placed was so fashioned asto be able to cover a wide space of sea on both sides, and from thisarrangement Dickson expected great results.
A whole week had worn away since the first fires had been seen from thehilltop; but every night those fires had blazed.
It was evident enough the enemy was endeavouring to propitiate theirgods before sailing. For by day, on climbing a mountain, Dickson, bymeans of his large telescope, could see on the beach that humansacrifices were being offered up.
It was fearful to behold. Men, or perhaps women, were chained to stakeson the beach, and pyres of wood built around them. As the fire curledup through the smoke in tongues, he could see the wretches writhing inagony, while round them danced the spear-armed savages.
Reginald had little to do at present, and would have but little to dountil summoned to tight. So he was often at the Queen's palace, and avery delightful conversationalist she proved herself to be. She hadavowed her intention of being at the great battle herself. Herpresence, and the sway of her pole-like sceptre, she assured the doctor,would give her people confidence, and mayhap be the turning point whichwould lead to victory.
Many a ramble together had Reginald and Ilda, nearly always followed bysweet wee Matty and her canine favourite Oscar.
One day, however, Matty was at the seaside camp, and Reginald went outwith Ilda alone to collect bouquets for the Queen's table. The day wasa hot one, but both were young, and when they zigzagged up a mountainside they found not only shade on a green mound beneath some spreadingtrees, but coolness as well.
All this morning Reginald had been thinking sorrowfully about his lostlove, as he now called Annie, and of the country he never expected againto see, because never did ships visit this unknown island unless drivenhither by storm or tempest.
But now there was the soft and dreamy light of love in Ilda's eyes, ifever there were in a woman's.
Reginald was very far indeed from being unfaithful at heart to hisbetrothed, but--well, he could not help thinking how strangely beautifulIlda was. When she leant towards him and gave one coy glance into hisface, it might have been but passion--I cannot say; it might be buddinglove. At all events, he drew her to his breast and kissed those redlips over and over again, she blushing, but unresisting as before.
What he might have said I do not know. But at that moment a half-nakedarmed savage burst hurriedly in upon the scene.
"Come, sah, come; de capatin he sendee me. De bad black mans' warcanoes dey is coming, too. Plenty big boat, plenty spear and bow."
Reginald thought no more of love just then. His Scottish blood was onfire, and when he had seen Ilda safe in the palace he bade her anaffectionate but hurried farewell, and hurried away to the front.
The Armada was coming in deadly earnest, and no one in the Isle ofFlowers could even guess how matters might end.
CHAPTER NINETEEN.
GOLD AND PEARLS--JACK CAROUSING.
No confusion here in the fort. The men were all in, the otherspear-armed corps of at least five hundred were hidden in the bush atthe base of the mountain side. Inside everything was being conducted asquietly and regularly as--as--well, as a marriage in church.
But looking seaward, even without the aid of a glass, the great Armadacould be seen approaching.
Huge black many-paddled war canoes, forty in all, and probably withfifty men in each, or nearly a thousand altogether.
Nearer and nearer they swept with many a wild or warlike shout that wasmeant to strike terror into the hearts of the Flower Islanders. Theywere soon so near that the rattling of their spears as they struck themagainst their big shields could be distinctly heard.
So near now that with a small opera-glass which the doctor carried, hecould see their painted skins and faces, and the red and horriblestreaks.
And now it was time to fire the first gun. A shot or shell would havecarried much further, but grape would be ever so much more demoralising.Dickson himself trained that gun on the foremost or leading boat.
The surprise of the enemy was indeed great. Never had they seen a gunfired before, nor heard the roar of one. But yonder on shore and infront of the barricaded fort they could see a balloon of white smoke,with a stream of red fire in the centre. Then the roar of that piece ofordnance was appalling. Next moment the crowded boat or war canoe wasfilled with corpses and the shrieking, bleeding wounded. But she was insplinters, and quickly filled and sank. The other boats lay on theirpaddles for a minute, uncertain what to do.
Meanwhile, and just as Reginald was quickly sponging out the gunprevious to reloading, and all was silent for a time, a curious thingoccurred.
In at the tiny back door of the fort, which had not yet been closed,rushed a tiny, laughing figure, all in white and barefooted. It wasMatty, and in jumped honest Oscar next. She was laughing merrily.
"Oh!" she cried, clapping her hands with glee. "They put me to bed, butI dot up again and runned away twickly, and I'se come to 'ssist!"
"Oh, my darling!" cried Reginald, in great concern, "why did you come?"
"I can tally (carry) tartridges and powder."
"No, no, no, dear. You must obey me. Here, there is my coat, and inthat corner you must sit till all the fight is over."
Matty said: "Tiss me, then."
He kissed her, and down she sat with the dog beside her, and looked verydemure indeed, with that one wee forefinger in her mouth.
Strange to say, she soon fell fast asleep, with her head pillowed on thedog's back, one hand clutching his mane.
The battle now became general all along the line. For the riflemen inthe back, as well as those within the fort, began to fire.
And now slowly down the hill came Bertha, the Island Queen, sceptre-polein hand, and dressed in skins of dazzling white. A very imposing figureshe looked. But her presence gave extra courage to her people.
The officers in almost every boat were picked off easily, so short wasnow the range.
It must be admitted that the enemy showed no lack of courage, thoughboat after boat was sunk to the number of six, and rifles rang out fromthe bush and fort in a series of independent but incessant firing, andwell did the foe understand that their main safety now consisted inlanding as soon as they possibly could. They knew that in ahand-to-hand fight the "fire-sticks," as savages call our rifles, wouldbe of little avail.
The guns were worked with splendid results, however, and by the time thewar canoes were beached only about four hundred men were left to fight.But these cannibals knew no fear.
One more telling volley from the bush, one more shot from a six-pounder,then from behind a bush rushed the white Queen waving aloft her sceptre,and instantly from their cover, spear-armed, now rushed the FlowerIslanders, one thousand strong at least The fight was a fearful one.Dickson, Hall, with Reginald and the men in the fort, joined withrevolver and cutlass. The Queen was in the front. No, she fought not,but her presence there was like that of Joan of Arc.
Many of the invaded fell dead and wounded; but even the fierce foe wasforced to yield at last, and the miserable remnant of them tried oncemore to reach their boats.
They never did. It was a war of extermination, and the invaders wereutterly and completely wiped out Never a boat, never a man returned hometo their distant island to tell the fearful tale.
The Flower Islanders expected now a grand feast. Here was flesh--humanflesh.
The Queen forbade it, and Dickson himself g
ave orders that every body--the wounded had been stabbed--should be rowed out to sea and thrownoverboard to feed the sharks. They demurred. Dickson was determinedand stern. If not obeyed instantly, he should turn the guns on thewould-be cannibals.
Reginald suggested as a kind of compromise that each man who had beenfighting should receive a large biscuit and a glass of rum. It was ahappy thought, and after this the work was set about merrily. Thesea-burial occupied all the afternoon till within an hour of sunset.Then the canoes returned. All was over. The Armada was no more.
But around him now Dickson gathered the Flower Island Army, and offeredup a prayer of thanks to the God of Battle, who had fought on theirside, and the islanders seemed much impressed. The enemy would probablynever attempt invasion again--in our heroes' time, at all events.
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The Queen gave a banquet that night, she herself presiding. Of course,nothing was talked about except the incidents of the recent