Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/201

Rh toward her. The sailors, just awakened from their lethargy, and Holden single handed and unarmed, were unable to make any resistance to what was evidently a hostile intention. Holden simply prepared to jump when the canoe struck, as she did in a few moments. It came at a dashing speed, and the sailors that did not jump into the water were knocked down helplessly and pitilessly.

The four chiefs sprang at once into the boat, and began knocking it to pieces, and made no account of the sailors. Their first concern was to secure for themselves as much as possible of the iron in the boat.

As Holden says they were "naked brutes," and of copper colored skins. Their absolute insensibility to the perishing sailors should be understood, however, as rather an intellectual limitation. They had not yet learned that the life of a man not of their tribe was of any value, and had learned that possession of iron was increase of power. The iron nails and spikes, therefore, excited all their activity, while the men were unnoticed.

Holden leaped into the water to avoid the collision, and those of his mates who did not do so, were unceremoniously thrown overboard by the natives, to be out of the way while the process of demolishing the boat went on. When this was broken nearly to the water line, it was decided by the chiefs to tow the bottom over to the land, and the fleet of canoes began moving toward shore. In the meantime, the sailors in the water had been attempting to sustain themselves by taking hold of the edges of the boat, but were pushed back into the water. Some tried to take hold of the outriggers of canoes, but were driven back. But when the boat was broken up, or what was left was taken in tow, the sailors were allowed to take refuge in the canoes. But this seems rather to have been for the purpose of plunder than humanity.