aylight, would have certainly smashed his shoulder-blade.
As it was, it caused him to stagger, and sent him howling with pain to
the mouth of the cavern, whither he was followed by the triumphant Jo,
who now made sure of catching him.

But "there is many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip." When Keona issued
from the cave, he was received with a shout by the band of savages, who
instantly recognized him as their friend by his voice. Poor Poopy was
already in their hands, having been seized and gagged when she emerged
before she had time to utter a cry. And now they stood in a semicircle,
ready to receive all who might come forth into their arms, or on their
spear-points, as the case might be.

Bumpus came out like an insane thunderbolt, and Corrie like a streak of
lightning. Instantaneously the flash of the pistol, accompanied by its
report and a deep growl from Bumpus, increased the resemblance to these
meteorological phenomena, and three savages lay stunned upon the
ground.

"This way, Corrie!" cried the excited seaman, leaping to a perpendicular
rock, against which he placed his back, and raised his fists in a
pugilistic attitude, "Keep one or two in play with your broken
toothpick, an' I'll floor 'em one after another as they comes up. Now,
then, ye black baboons, come on,--all at once, if you like,--an' Jo
Bumpus'll show ye wot he's made of!"

Not perceiving very clearly, in the dim light caused by a few stars that
flickered among the black and gathering clouds, the immense size and
power of the man with whom they had to deal, the savages were not slow
to accept this free and generous invitation to "come on." They rushed
forward in a body, intending, no doubt, to take the man and boy
prisoners; for if they had wished to slay them, nothing would have been
easier than to have thrown one or two of their spears at their
defenseless breasts.

Bumpus experienced a vague feeling that he had now a fair opportunity of
testing and proving his invincibility; yet the desperate nature of the
case did not induce him to draw his sword. He preferred his fists, as
being superior and much more handy weapons. He received the first two
savages who came within reach on the knuckles of his right and left
hands, rendering them utterly insensible, and driving them against the
two men immediately behind with such tremendous violence that they also
were put _hors de combat_.

This was just what Bumpus had intended and hoped for. The s