Chapter Fourteen.
Dealing with a Fleet.
“I know what I should do,” said Murray, as, forgetting the smarting and stiffness from which he suffered, he stood watching the savage fleet steadily gliding down stream.
“What?” said Roberts.
“Get out of the river as soon as I could. We could sail right away now.”
“Cowardly,” grumbled Roberts. “Why, it would be throwing away the chance of giving the wretches a severe lesson.”
“They’ve had one,” said Murray, “and if we sink half-a-dozen of them they’ll be ready enough to come on again.”
“Then we could sink some more. Why, if you sailed away they’d think we were afraid of them.”
“Let them! We know better. It seems a bit horrible with our great power to begin sending grape and canister scattering amongst these slight canoes.”
“Oh yes, horrible enough; but they must be taught that they can’t be allowed to make war upon other tribes and sell their prisoners into slavery.”