's right arm, to prevent any other weapon being used. Now the
savage and now the white man was uppermost, but at length, with a huge
effort, Cavendish twisted himself from under his foe, and lay
full-length on top of him, feeling for his dagger. The chief, however,
had likewise seized a knife which hung at his girdle, and, before the
captain could draw his weapon, he plunged his knife into Cavendish's
side.

The Englishman's grasp relaxed, he slipped from his position, and lay
upon his side, writhing on the sand. The native now rose to his knees
and raised his arm to deal a fatal blow; but, even as that blow fell, a
sword flashed through the air, and arm and knife fell to the ground
together.

Roger, for it was he who had thus appeared in the nick of time, at once
turned his sword and drove it through the heart of the chief, who rolled
over lifeless at his feet. The young hero then raised his captain in
his arms, and, staggering out of the press of the battle, laid him down
out of sight behind a gun-carriage.

Meanwhile the vessels afloat in the bay had been giving a very good
account of the enemy in the canoes. The natives, it was clear, had been
watching, and, having seen the preparations for careening the ships, had
hoped to find all four hauled up; in which case they would have secured
an easy victory from force of numbers alone, as the ships would then
have been unable to use their guns against the force in the canoes. But
as it was they had to deal with two fully-prepared ships, and, after
several fruitless attempts to board, were now hauling off with the
remnant of their fleet, most of the canoes having already been destroyed
by the broadsides from the _Elizabeth_ and the _Good Adventure_.

The land force, seeing their companions in the canoes withdrawing, and
also having lost their chieftain, now began to waver. Observing this,
the English hastily formed up into line, and, with a loud cheer, charged
the enemy afresh, hewing right and left with hearty goodwill.

This fierce rally proved altogether too much for the savages, and they
broke and fled precipitately.

The English now rushed to their guns, and, hastily completing the
loading which had been checked at the first onslaught of the enemy, gave
the flying savages another dose of grape and canister that strewed the
beach with dead and dying, and further hastened the flight of the
survivors, who quickly vanished in the recesses of the thick bush.