As it touched Tarzan spoke a few low words to Sheeta and Akut, so that before the attacking warriors could draw away there sprang upon them with a blood-freezing scream a huge panther, and into the other end of their canoe clambered a great ape.
At one end the panther wrought fearful havoc with his mighty talons and long, sharp fangs, while Akut at the other buried his yellow canines in the necks of those that came within his reach, hurling the terror-stricken blacks overboard as he made his way toward the centre of the canoe.
Again he aimed and fired, the bullet splintering the gunwale of the canoe close by Baynes' face.
Here lay the canoes that had been used in bringing the party from the opposite shore.
For there were a number of canoes filled with the goods of the party, while the members themselves occupied a larger one with their personal baggage.
At the promised time he had the canoes and paddlers on hand and the goods safely stowed away while one big craft was fitted up as comfortably as possible for the men of the party.
The Indian made no other answer than by dropping his paddle into the water, and urging forward the canoe. As he held the office of directing its course, his resolution was sufficiently indicated by the movement.
Uncas pointed toward a rocky shore a little in their front, whence another war canoe was darting directly across their course.
As the Indians of the plains who depend upon the chase are bold and expert riders, and pride themselves upon their horses, so these piscatory tribes of the coast excel in the management of canoes, and are never more at home than when riding upon the waves.
In managing their canoes they kneel two and two along the bottom, sitting on their heels, and wielding paddles from four to five feet long, while one sits on the stern and steers with a paddle of the same kind.
He pulled it in rapidly, hand under hand, and landed a big gasping rock cod in the bottom of the
canoe.
The gang-plank being on the port side, Dag Daughtry paddled around to the starboard and brought the
canoe to a stop under a certain open port.
It was about dark now; so I dropped the
canoe down the river under some willows that hung over the bank, and waited for the moon to rise.
Elizabeth examined the light ashen timbers and thin bark covering of the
canoe, in admiration of its neat but simple execution, and with wonder that any human being could he so daring as to trust his life in so frail a vessel.
And each Somo boy sat on his trade-box to prevent it from being tossed into the waiting
canoes by some Langa-Langa boy.