t before a ragged volley of seven shots rang out
from the rest of the defenders. More shrieks followed this discharge,
but it did not stop the rush of the canoes, which now came sweeping
toward us like so many steamers. Meanwhile I was busily engaged in
slipping another cartridge into the breach of my piece, calculating upon
being able to get in two more shots before the savages arrived
alongside. And so, as a matter of fact, I did, as also did some of the
others, with disastrous results for the savages, if the shrieks that
followed upon each discharge were to be accepted as any criterion; and,
apart from that, there was a noticeable wavering and hesitation on the
part of the crews of two or three of the canoes after that third
discharge. But the hesitation was only momentary; then the rascals
gripped their courage afresh and drove their canoes alongside, four
dashing up on our port side, and the remaining four essaying to board us
to starboard. And when the canoes were within about four or five
fathoms of the schooner's side, with good way upon them, the savages
suddenly laid in their paddles and, rising to their feet, hurled a heavy
shower of spears at us, every one of which flew harmlessly over our
heads, luckily for us.

Then the heavy night air suddenly became vibrant with a medley of harsh,
discordant sounds, compounded of the yells and shrieks of the savages,
the fierce ejaculations of our own people, the quick, snapping
explosions of revolvers, and the gasping groans of the wounded, as the
natives swarmed up our low sides and suddenly found themselves
confronted by the barrier of our improvised boarding net, through the
meshes of which our lads pointed their revolvers and thrust furiously
with their cutlasses, while the savages unavailingly strove to tear the
stout strands apart and make an opening through which to pass, or thrust
at us in their turn with their spears. Suddenly, in the dim starlight,
as I was busily reloading my revolver, I saw the cook emerge from the
galley with what looked like a bucket in his hand. With a quick twirl
he seemed to throw the contents of this bucket through the net just
where the savages were crowding thickest on the other side of it, and
the next instant there arose a more than usually piercing chorus of
shrieks, while the great bulk of the savages at that particular point
appeared to melt away suddenly, and I heard the heavy impact of a number
of bodies falling headlon