dim light. I made a rough guess, however,
and came to the conclusion that there were at least twenty in each
canoe; it was evident therefore that, despite our superiority in the
matter of weapons, there was a desperate struggle in store for us. I
waited patiently until the canoes had approached us near enough to
enable us to distinguish the loom of them with the unaided eye, and
then, springing up on the wheel grating, I suddenly hailed:

"Canoes ahoy! Keep off there! If you attempt to come any nearer I will
open fire upon you."

A complete cessation of paddling immediately followed my hail. Possibly
the savages were a trifle chagrined to discover that we were on the
alert, or perhaps they did not fully understand what I had said--
although I did not believe that, for most of the South Sea natives knew
enough of English to enable an Englishman to make himself understood.
Be that as it may, they paused long enough to enable me to call to the
little band of defenders a final instruction.

"Don't fire, lads," I said, "until you can see your mark distinctly.
Then aim carefully, and make every shot tell. Much will depend upon the
effect of our first volley, which we must therefore make as deadly as
possible."

A low murmur of comprehension arose from the scanty crew ranged at wide
intervals along the schooner's port rail, that being the side which the
natives were approaching. But before anything more could be said, a
loud shout--in a voice the tones of which seemed somehow familiar to
me--arose from one of the canoes, and was instantly answered by a yell
that, from its volume of sound, must have emanated from the throats of
nearly or quite two hundred savages; and then, without further attempt
at concealment, a whole host of paddles suddenly dashed into the water,
lashing it into long, swirling lines of luminous foam, and, with loud
cries of mutual encouragement from the occupants, the eight big canoes
surged forward and came rushing through the water at the schooner.

"Keep cool, men," I shouted above the din: "pick your mark; aim into the
thick of them; and load and fire as many times as you can before they
can get alongside." And forthwith I led off with a shot aimed straight
at the centre of the dark mass which represented the nearest canoe, at
that moment distant about two hundred and fifty yards. My aim was true,
and my bullet must have found a double mark, for two distinct shrieks
responded a bare momen