Strikes with a desperate arm of might,
And at the last tug turns the fight:
For never yields the Norseman.”
“That is true,” said Jan; “and Snorro knows not the way to yield. Once, on the river Songibusar, when we were attacking Sherif Osman, there was danger that a battery would be taken in reverse. ‘The Ajax’ had come up to assist the ‘Hydra,’ and her commander sent a sergeant to tell Snorro that he had better spike his gun and retreat.”
Suneva laughed scornfully, and asked, “Well, then, what did Snorro answer?”
“‘Thou tell him that sent thee, that Michael Snorro takes his orders only from Captain Jan Vedder, and Captain Vedder has not said “retreat.” No, indeed!’ Then he got his gun round to bear on the enemy, and he poured such a fire down on them that they fled, fled quick enough. As for Snorro, he did things almost impossible.”
“Well, Jan, Osman was a very bad man. It is not well to pity the downfall of tyrants. He had made Borneo, it seems, a hell upon earth.”
“My minister, he was a devil and no man. But five hundred free blue jackets were more than he could bear. We utterly destroyed all his forts, and took all his cannon, and made the coast habitable.”
“To-day,” said Margaret, “I heard thee say to Snorro, ‘when thou comes next on shore, bring with thee that idol of Chappo’s for the minister.’ Who then is Chappo?”