The whole body of savages were now advancing from the cocoa-nut wood in
a solid mass; they raised a yell, which struck terror into the hearts
of Mrs. Seagrave and Juno, yet they flinched not. The savages were
again within fifty yards of them, when the fire was opened upon them;
the fire was answered by loud yells, and the savages had already
reached to the bottom of the sloping pile of faggots, when the yells
and the reports of the muskets were drowned by a much louder report,
followed by the crackling and breaking of the cocoa-nut trees, which
made both parties start with surprise; another and another followed,
the ground was ploughed up, and the savages fell in numbers.
"It must be the cannon of a ship, father," said William; "we are saved
- we are saved!"
"It can be nothing else; we are saved, and by a miracle!" replied Mr.
Seagrave in utter astonishment.
The savages paused in the advance, quite stupefied; again, again,
again, the report of the loud guns boomed through the air, and the
round-shot and grape came whizzing and tearing through the cocoa-nut
grove; at this last broadside, the savages turned, and fled towards
their canoes: not one was left to be seen.
"We are saved!" cried Mr. Seagrave, leaping off the plank and embracing
his wife, who sank down on her knees, and held up her clasped hands in
thankfulness to Heaven.
William had hastened up to the look-out on the cocoa-nut tree, and now
cried out to them below, as the guns were again discharged:
"A large schooner, father; she is firing at the savages, who are at the
canoes; they are falling in every direction: some have plunged into the
water; there is a boat full of armed men coming on shore; they are
close to the beach, by the garden-point. Three of the canoes have got
off full of men; there go the guns again; two of the canoes are sunk,
father; the boat has landed, and the people are coming up this way."
William then descended from the look-out as fast as he could.
As soon as he was down, he commenced unbarring the door of the
stockade. He pulled out the last pole just as he heard the feet of
their deliverers outside. He threw open the door, and, a second after,
found himself in the arms of Captain Osborn.
Chapter LXVI
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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