I did not know but he might be shooting at me, with a view to getting my sloop and her cargo; and so I threw up my old Martini-Henry, the rifle that kept on shooting, and the first shot uncovered three Fuegians, who scampered from a clump of bushes where they had been concealed, and made over the hills.

I fired away a good many cartridges, aiming under their feet to encourage their climbing.
My dear old gun woke up the hills, and at every report all three of the savages jumped as if shot; but they kept on, and put Fuego real estate between themselves and the _Spray_ as fast as their legs could carry them.

I took care then, more than ever before, that all my firearms should be in order and that a supply of ammunition should always be ready at hand.

But the savages did not return, and although I put tacks on deck every night, I never discovered that any more visitors came, and I had only to sweep the deck of tacks carefully every morning after.
[Illustration: "The first shot uncovered three Fuegians."] As the days went by, the season became more favorable for a chance to clear the strait with a fair wind, and so I made up my mind after six attempts, being driven back each, time, to be in no further haste to sail.

The bad weather on my last return to Port Angosto for shelter brought the Chilean gunboat _Condor_ and the Argentine cruiser _Azopardo_ into port.