e were doing very well--at our end of the ship, at all events; for
although the savages quickly recovered themselves after the first moment
of astonishment at finding nobody on the main-deck to oppose them, and
began to pour in a hot fire of arrows, not one of our party--who were
somewhat scattered, and were all lying down, most of them behind some
sort of shelter--was hit.

By the time that the attack had been raging some five minutes, however,
there must have been quite three hundred savages crowded on the main-
deck, between the poop and the topgallant forecastle, and the affair
began to wear a very serious aspect for us defenders; for by this time
the blacks were making desperate efforts to climb up on to the poop and
carry it by escalade, and a few of us had sustained more or less serious
hurts in resisting them. The critical moment, when we must either
conquer or go under, was close upon us, and I was about to call to
Simpson to ask whether they were ready on the forecastle with the
carronades, when his voice rose above the din, hailing:

"Poop ahoy! Look out there, aft, for we're goin' to fire. We can't
hold out here another half a minute."

"Very well," I answered, "fire as soon as you like; the sooner the
better!" And I then added:

"Jump to your feet, everybody on the poop, and run as far aft as you
can, or shelter yourselves behind the companion or skylight--anywhere,
until they have fired the carronades!"

We had just time to make good our rush for shelter--leaving the natives
who were endeavouring to storm the poop evidently much astonished at our
sudden and inexplicable retreat--when the two carronades barked out
simultaneously; and the terrific hubbub of shouts and yells down in the
waist ceased as though by magic, to be succeeded the next instant by
surely the most dreadful outburst of screams and groans that human ears
had ever listened to. The carnage, I knew, must have been terrific, but
it would not do to trust to the effect of that alone, we must instantly
follow it up by action of some sort that would complete the panic
already begun; so I shouted:

"Hurrah, lads; now down on the main-deck, all of us, and drive the
remainder of the savages over the side before they have had time to
recover from their dismay!" And, seizing hold of the first rope that
came to hand, I swung myself off the poop down on the main-deck, and
began to lay about me right and left with my sword, the remainder of o