own the boats to be a shield, and dragged them
towards the landing-place. In this way, their rations, and (what was
more unfortunate) some of their miserable provision of forty rounds got
wetted; but the men came to shore and garrisoned the plantation house
without a casualty. Meanwhile the sound of the firing from Sunga
immediately renewed the hostilities at Fangalii. The civilians on shore
decided that Spengler must be at once guided to the house, and Haideln,
the surveyor, accepted the dangerous errand. Like Hufnagel, he was
suffered to pass without question through the midst of these platonic
enemies. He found Spengler some way inland on a knoll, disastrously
engaged, the woods around him filled with Samoans, who were continuously
reinforced. In three successive charges, cheering as they ran, the
blue-jackets burst through their scattered opponents, and made good
their junction with Jaeckel. Four men only remained upon the field, the
other wounded being helped by their comrades or dragging themselves
painfully along.

The force was now concentrated in the house and its immediate patch of
garden. Their rear, to the seaward, was unmolested; but on three sides
they were beleaguered. On the left, the Samoans occupied and fired from
some of the plantation offices. In front, a long rising crest of land in
the horse-pasture commanded the house, and was lined with the
assailants. And on the right, the hedge of the same paddock afforded
them a dangerous cover. It was in this place that a Samoan sharpshooter
was knocked over by Jaeckel with his own hand. The fire was maintained
by the Samoans in the usual wasteful style. The roof was made a sieve;
the balls passed clean through the house; Lieutenant Sieger, as he lay,
already dying, on Hufnagel's bed, was despatched with a fresh wound. The
Samoans showed themselves extremely enterprising: pushed their lines
forward, ventured beyond cover, and continually threatened to envelop
the garden. Thrice, at least, it was necessary to repel them by a sally.
The men were brought into the house from the rear, the front doors were
thrown suddenly open, and the gallant blue-jackets issued cheering:
necessary, successful, but extremely costly sorties. Neither could these
be pushed far. The foes were undaunted; so soon as the sailors advanced
at all deep in the horse-pasture, the Samoans began to close in upon
both flanks; and the sally had to be recalled. To add to the dangers of
the German