g into the canoes alongside.

The "Doctor" paused a moment, apparently to note the effect of his
experiment, and then he hastily returned to the galley, presently
emerging again and repeating his former tactics with similar results. I
subsequently learned that, when it became known that an attack of the
savages might be certainly looked for, the cook had lighted a rousing
fire in his galley, filled his coppers with a mixture of slush and salt
water, and brought the whole to the boil, so arranging the matter that
the mixture was in a state of furious ebullition by the time the savages
arrived alongside. And wherever the blacks pressed thickest and most
determinedly, there Cooky intervened with a bucketful of his scalding
stuff, which he very effectively distributed over the naked bodies of a
round dozen or so of our assailants by giving the bucket a neat twirl at
the instant of discharge.

But despite the effective aid thus rendered, matters were, on the whole,
going rather badly for us, for two American forecastle hands were by
this time down, transfixed by spears which pinned them to the deck,
while the sailmaker and I were each punctured and bleeding freely, Sails
having received a bad prick in his left shoulder, while a spear had
passed completely through the fleshy part of my right thigh; in addition
to which a party of savages, by concentrating their efforts upon one
particular spot, had contrived to make a hole in the net, which they
were rapidly enlarging. Of this last fact I was happily unaware, as
indeed I was of the critical character of our situation generally, for
it was forward, where Murdock, the ex-boatswain of the _Zenobia_, was in
charge, that matters were going so badly, while aft, where I was, we
were doing pretty well.

But Murdock was not the sort of man to be discouraged because for the
moment he happened to be getting the worst of it; on the contrary, it
was just that state of things that stirred him to extra effort, and it
did so now. Perceiving that, unless something were done to prevent them
effectively, the savages would soon force their way through the net--and
thereafter make short work of all hands of us--Murdock sets his wits
going, and presently thought out a plan which he immediately proceeded
to put into operation. Seizing a half-empty case of revolver
ammunition, he broke open about a dozen cartridges and arranged the
powder in a little heap at the bottom of the case, burying on