72 
SCENES IN THE PACIFIC. 
paces from the door when I was overtaken and assailed with 
heavy blows from their swords. These I succeeded in parry¬ 
ing off to such an extent that I was not much injured by 
them. Being incensed at last by my successful resistance, 
they grappled with me, and threw me down, when an ensign 
by the name of Joaquin Terres drew his dirk, and saying 
with an oath that he would let out my life, made a thrust at 
my heart. God saved me again. The weapon passing be¬ 
tween my body and left arm, sunk deep in the ground ! and 
before he had an opportunity of repeating his blow they 
dragged me up the hill in the rear of my house, where Jose 
Castro was standing. They called to him, c Here he is ! 
here he is ! ? whereupon Castro rode up and struck me with 
the back of his sword over the head so severely as to bring 
me to the ground ; and then ordered four balls to be put 
through me. But this was prevented by a faithful Indian 
in my service, who threw himself on me, declaring that he 
would receive the balls in his own heart! 
“ Unwilling to be thwarted, however, in their design to de¬ 
stroy me, they next fastened a rope to one of my arms, and 
passed it to a man on horseback, who wound it firmly around 
the horn of his saddle. Then the rest of them, taking hold of 
the other arm, endeavored to haul my shoulders out of joint! 
But the rope broke. Thinking the scoundrels bent on killing 
me in some way, I begged for liberty to commend my soul to 
God. To this they replied, c You shall never pray till you 
kneel over your grave. 5 They then conducted me to my 
house and permitted me to put on my pantaloons. While 
there they asked where Mr. Morris was. I told them I did 
not know. They then put their lances to my breast and told 
me to call him or die. I answered that he had made his es¬ 
cape. While I was saying this, Mr. Niel came to the house, 
pale from loss of blood and vomiting terribly. He had had a 
lance thrust through his thigh, and a deep wound in his 
leg, which nearly separated the cord of the heel. 
“They next put Mr. Niel and myself in double irons, car- 
