a　house　was　pierced　beyond　the　Mulivai。　　All　along　the　two　lines　of
  breastwork；　the　entrenched　enemies　exchanged　this　hail　of　balls；
  and　away　on　the　east　of　the　battle　the　fusillade　was　maintained；
  with　equal　spirit；　across　the　narrow　barrier　of　the　Fuisa。　　The
  whole　rear　of　the　Tamaseses　was　enfiladed　by　this　flank　fire；　and　I
  have　seen　a　house　there；　by　the　river　brink；　that　was　riddled　with
  bullets　like　a　piece　of　worm…eaten　wreck…wood。　　At　this　point　of
  the　field　befell　a　trait　of　Samoan　warfare　worth　recording。　　Taiese
  （brother　to　Siteoni　already　mentioned）　shot　a　Tamasese　man。　　He　saw
  him　fall；　and；　inflamed　with　the　lust　of　glory；　passed　the　river
  single…handed　in　that　storm　of　missiles　to　secure　the　head。　　On　the
  farther　bank；　as　was　but　natural；　he　fell　himself；　he　who　had　gone
  to　take　a　trophy　remained　to　afford　one；　and　the　Mataafas；　who　had
  looked　on　exulting　in　the　prospect　of　a　triumph；　saw　themselves
  exposed　instead　to　a　disgrace。　　Then　rose　one　Vingi；　passed　the
  deadly　water；　swung　the　body　of　Taiese　on　his　back；　and　returned
  unscathed　to　his　own　side；　the　head　saved；　the　corpse　filled　with
  useless　bullets。
  At　this　rate　of　practice；　the　ammunition　soon　began　to　run　low；　and
  from　an　early　hour　of　the　afternoon；　the　Malietoa　stores　were
  visited　by　customers　in　search　of　more。　　An　elderly　man　came
  leaping　and　cheering；　his　gun　in　one　hand；　a　basket　of　three　heads
  in　the　other。　　A　fellow　came　shot　through　the　forearm。　　〃It　doesn't
  hurt　now；〃　he　said；　as　he　bought　his　cartridges；　〃but　it　will　hurt
  to…morrow；　and　I　want　to　fight　while　I　can。〃　　A　third　followed；　a
  mere　boy；　with　the　end　of　his　nose　shot　off：　〃Have　you　any
  painkiller？　give　it　me　quick；　so　that　I　can　get　back　to　fight。〃　　On
  either　side；　there　was　the　same　delight　in　sound　and　smoke　and
  schoolboy　cheering；　the　same　unsophisticated　ardour　of　battle；　and
  the　misdirected　skirmish　proceeded　with　a　din；　and　was　illustrated
  with　traits　of　bravery　that　would　have　fitted　a　Waterloo　or　a
  Sedan。
  I　have　said　how　little　I　regard　the　alleged　plan　of　battle。　　At
  least　it　was　now　all　gone　to　water。　　The　whole　forces　of　Mataafa
  had　leaked　out；　man　by　man；　village　by　village；　on　the　so…called
  false　attack。　　They　were　all　pounding　for　their　lives　on　the　front
  and　the　left　flank　of　Matautu。　　About　half…past　three　they
  enveloped　the　right　flank　also。　　The　defenders　were　driven　back
  along　the　beach　road　as　far　as　the　pilot　station　at　the　turn　of　the
  land。　　From　this　also　they　were　dislodged；　stubbornly　fighting。
  One；　it　Is　told；　retreated　to　his　middle　in　the　lagoon；　stood
  there；　loading　and　firing；　till　he　fell；　and　his　body　was　found　on
  the　morrow　pierced　with　four　mortal　wounds。　　The　Tamasese　force　was
  now　enveloped　on　three　sides；　it　was　besides　almost　cut　off　from
  the　sea；　and　across　its　whole　rear　and　only　way　of　retreat　a　fire
  of　hostile　bullets　crossed　from　east　and　west；　in　the　midst　of
  which　men　were　surprised　to　observe　the　birds　continuing　to　sing；
  and　a　cow　grazed　all　afternoon　unhurt。　　Doubtless　here　was　the
  defence　in　a　poor　way；　but　then　the　attack　was　in　irons。　　For　the
  Mataafas　about　the　pilot　house　could　scarcely　advance　beyond
  without　coming　under　the　fire　of　their　own　men　from　the　other　side
  of　the　Fuisa；　and　there　was　not　enough　organisation；　perhaps　not
  enough　authority；　to　divert　or　to　arrest　that　fire。
  The　progress　of　the　fight　along　the　beach　road　was　visible　from
  Mulinuu；　and　Brandeis　despatched　ten　boats　of　reinforcements。　　They
  crossed　the　harbour；　paused　for　a　while　beside　the　ADLER　…　it　is
  supposed　for　ammunition　…　and　drew　near　the　Matautu　shore。　　The
  Mataafa　men　lay　close　among　the　shore…side　bushes；　expecting　their
  arrival；　when　a　silly　lad；　in　mere　lightness　of　heart；　fired　a　shot
  in　the　air。　　My　native　friend；　Mrs。　Mary　Hamilton；　ran　out　of　her
  house　and　gave　the　culprit　a　good　shaking：　　an　episode　in　the　midst
  of　battle　as　incongruous　as　the　grazing　cow。　　But　his　sillier
  comrades　followed　his　example；　a　harmless　volley　warned　the　boats
  what　they　might　expect；　and　they　drew　back　and　passed　outside　the
  reef　for　the　passage　of　the　Fuisa。　　Here　they　came　under　the　fire
  of　the　right　wing　of　the　Mataafas　on　the　river…bank。　　The　beach；
  raked　east　and　west；　appeared　to　them　no　place　to　land　on。　　And
  they　hung　off　in　the　deep　water　of　the　lagoon　inside　the　barrier
  reef；　feebly　fusillading　the　pilot　house。
  Between　four　and　five；　the　Fabeata　regiment　（or　folk　of　that
  village）　on　the　Mataafa　left；　which　had　been　under　arms　all　day；
  fell　to　be　withdrawn　for　rest　and　food；　the　Siumu　regiment；　which
  should　have　relieved　it；　was　not　ready　or　not　notified　in　time；　and
  the　Tamaseses；　gallantly　profiting　by　the　mismanagement；　recovered
  the　most　of　the　ground　in　their　proper　right。　　It　was　not　for　long。
  They　lost　it　again；　yard　by　yard　and　from　house　to　house；　till　the
  pilot　station　was　once　more　in　the　hands　of　the　Mataafas。　　This　is
  the　last　definite　incident　in　the　battle。　　The　vicissitudes　along
  the　line　of　the　entrenchments　remain　concealed　from　us　under　the
  cover　of　the　forest。　　Some　part　of　the　Tamasese　position　there
  appears　to　have　been　carried；　but　what　part；　or　at　what　hour；　or
  whether　the　advantage　was　maintained；　I　have　never　learned。　　Night
  and　rain；　but　not　silence；　closed　upon　the　field。　　The　trenches
  were　deep　in　mud；　but　the　younger　folk　wrecked　the　houses　in　the
  neighbourhood；　carried　the　roofs　to　the　front；　and　lay　under　them；
  men　and　women　together；　through　a　long　night　of　furious　squalls　and
  furious　and　useless　volleys。　　Meanwhile　the　older　folk　trailed　back
  into　Apia　in　the　rain；　they　talked　as　they　went　of　who　had　fallen
  and　what　heads　had　been　taken　upon　either　side　…　they　seemed　to
  know　by　name　the　losses　upon　both；　and　drenched　with　wet　and　broken
  with　excitement　and　fatigue；　they　crawled　into　the　verandahs　of　the
  town　to　eat　and　sleep。　　The　morrow　broke　grey　and　drizzly；　but　as
  so　often　happens　in　the　islands；　cleared　up　into　a　glorious　day。
  During　the　night；　the　majority　of　the　defenders　had　taken　advantage
  of　the　rain　and　darkness　and　stolen　from　their　forts　unobserved。
  The　rallying　sign　of　the　Tamaseses　had　been　a　white　handkerchief。
  With　the　dawn；　the　de　Coetlogons　from　the　English　consulate　beheld
  the　ground　strewn　with　these　badges　discarded；　and　close　by　the
  house；　a　belated　turncoat　was　still　changing　white　for　red。
  Matautu　was　lost；　Tamasese　was　confined　to　Mulinuu；　and　by　nine
  o'clock　two　Mataafa　villages　paraded　the　streets　of　Apia；　taking
  possession。　　The　cost　of　this　respectable　success　in　ammunition
  must　have　been　enormous；　in　life　it　was　but　small。　　Some　compute
  forty　killed　on　either　side；　others　forty　on　both；　three　or　four
  being　women　and　one　a　white　man；　master　of　a　schooner　from　Fiji。
  Nor　was　the　number　even　of　the　wounded　at　all　proportionate　to　the
  surprising　din　and　fury　of　the　affair　while　it　lasted。
  CHAPTER　VI　…　LAST　EXPLOITS　OF　BECKER
  SEPTEMBER　…　NOVEMBER　1888
  BRANDEIS　had　held　all　day　by　Mulinuu；　expecting　the　reported　real
  attack。　　He　woke　on　the　13th　to　find　himself　cut　off　on　that
  unwatered　promontory；　and　the　Mataafa　villagers　parading　Apia。　　The
  same　day　Fritze　received　a　letter　from　Mataafa　summoning　him　to
  withdraw　his　party　from　the　isthmus；　and　Fritze；　as　if　in　answer；
  drew　in　his　ship　into　the　small　harbour　close　to　Mulinuu；　and
  trained　his　port　battery　to　assist　in　the　defence。　　From　a　step　so
  decisive；　it　might　be　thought　the　German　plans　were　unaffected　by
  the　disastrous　issue　of　the　battle。　　I　conceive　nothing　would　be
  further　from　the　truth。　　Here　was　Tamasese　penned　on　Mulinuu　with
  his　troops；　Apia；　from　which　alone　these　could　be　subsisted；　in　the
  hands　of　the　enemy；　a　battle　imminent；　in　which　the　German　vessel
  must　apparently　take　part　with　men　and　battery；　and　the　buildings
  of　the　German　firm　were　apparently　destined　to　be　the　first　target
  of　fire。　　Unless　Becker　re…established　that　which　he　had　so　lately
  and　so　artfully　thrown　down　…　the　neutral　territory　…　the　firm
  would　have　to　suffer。　　If　he　re…established　it；　Tamasese　must
  retire　from　Mulinuu。　　If　Becker　saved　his　goose；　he　lost　his
  cabbage。　　Nothing　so　well　depicts　the　man's　effrontery　as　that　he
  should　have　conceived　the　design　of　saving　both；　…　of　re…
  establishing　only　so　much　of　the　neutral　territory　as　should　hamper
  Mataafa；　and　leaving　in　abeyance　all　that　could　incommode　Tamasese。
  By　drawing　the　boundary　where　he　now　proposed；　across　the　isthmus；
  he　protected　the　firm；　drove　back　the　Mataafas　out　of　almost　all
  that　they　had　conquered；　and；　so　far　from　disturbing　Tamasese；
  actually　fortified　him　in　his　old　position。
  The　real　story　of　the　negotiations　that　followed　we　shall　perhaps
  never　learn。　　But　so　much　is　plain：　　that　while　Becker　was　thus
  outwardl