e direction of the station. We could hear
their voices as they approached, and it was much to our advantage that
the moon was of sufficient size to give a fairly good light. The station
was in such a position that no one could approach it without being seen.

"In a little while we saw in the moonlight a mass of dark figures
crossing the open space to the south, and, judging by the ground they
covered, there were at least a hundred of them. They advanced quietly
about half way across the clearing and then broke into a run, while they
filled the air with yells. In a few moments they were all around the
building, and quite a number of them threw their spears at it--a very
foolish procedure, as the weapons could do no harm whatever to the thick
sides of the structure. It was our policy not to take life or even to
shed blood if we could possibly avoid it, as we were anxious to be on
friendly terms with the black people along our line. I had been thinking
the matter over in the evening, and suddenly hit upon a scheme that I
thought would save us from injuring anybody, and at the same time give
our assailants a thorough scare.

"There happened to be in the station a package of rockets, which had
been brought along for signaling purposes during the work of
construction. Just as the crowd of blacks reached the station, I asked
Mr. Britton, the chief operator, to bring me one of the rockets.

"He complied with my request, and I fixed the missile so that it would
go just above the heads of the crowd of yelling blacks. Then I touched a
match to the fuse, and away sailed the rocket through the night air.

"Not one of those aboriginals had ever seen anything of the kind before.
They started not upon the order of their going, but went as though
pursued by wild tigers or guilty consciences. They could not have been
more astonished if the moon had dropped down and exploded among them.
They gave just one yell, and it was five times as loud as any yell they
had previously given.

"In less than two minutes from the time the rocket was fired, there was
not a hostile black man around the station. Our own black fellows had
been trembling with fear, as they knew that, in case of capture, they
would share whatever fate was in store for us, the wild blacks being
greatly prejudiced against any one of their number who takes service
with the whites. The crowd fled in the direction of the scene of their
corroboree, but they did not stop there. W