ike the
others, had heard the firing, but had only thought of it as a foolish
waste of ammunition. Nothing was further from his thoughts on that
peaceful day and hour than deeds of violence and bloodshed. He
therefore continued at work.

The four murderers, meanwhile, ran down to Isaac Martin's house, found
him in the garden, and pointing their muskets at him, pulled the
triggers. The pieces missed fire, and poor Martin, thinking probably
that it was a practical joke, laughed at them. They cocked again,
however, and fired. Martin, although he fell mortally wounded, had
strength to rise again and fly towards his house. The natives followed
him into it. There was one of the sledge-hammers of the _Bounty_ there.
One of them seized it, and with one blow beat in the poor man's skull.

Roused, apparently, to madness by their bloody work, the Otaheitans now
rushed in a body to Brown's garden. The botanist had been somewhat
surprised at the frequent firing, but like his unfortunate
fellow-countrymen, appeared to have not the remotest suspicion of what
was going on. The sight of the natives, however, quickly opened his
eyes. He turned as if to fly, but before he could gain the bushes, a
well-aimed volley killed him.

Thus in little more than an hour were five of the Englishmen murdered.

It now seemed as if the revenge of the Otaheitans had been sated, for
after the last tragic act they remained for some time in front of
Brown's house talking, and resting their hands on the muzzles of their
guns.

All this time Edward Young was lying asleep in ignorance of what was
being done, and purposely kept in ignorance by the women. Having been
told by Quintal's wife, they knew part of the terrible details of the
massacre, but they had no power to check the murderers. They, however,
adopted what means they could to shield Young, who, as we have said, was
a favourite with all the natives, and closed the door of the hut in
which he lay to prevent his being awakened.

The suspicions of Adams having at length been aroused, he went down to
Brown's house to see what all the firing could be about. The children,
meanwhile, having some vague fears that danger threatened, had run into
their mother's huts. Everything passed so quickly, in fact, that few of
the people had time to understand or think, or take action in any way.

Reaching the edge of Brown's garden, and seeing the four Otaheitans
standing as we have described, Adam