We had just got to the mouth of the passage when
his quick eye detected a number of canoes collected inside the reef, and
full of men, armed with darts and bows and arrows. He made a hasty sign
to his followers to back their paddles, and away we shot out of the
trap.

As soon as our flight was discovered the canoes gave chase. They were
small, each carrying not more than six or eight men; but from their
numbers they were formidable. The men in them were also armed with a
variety of weapons, and we thought it very likely that the arrows and
darts might be poisoned. In a long line they darted out of the passage
through the breakers, like hornets out of their nest, to the attack.
"There they come, the black scoundrels!" exclaimed Ben Yool. "Ten,
fifteen, twenty,--there are thirty of them altogether. They'll give us
no little trouble if they once get alongside. However, they think that
they've only got their own countrymen, so to speak, to deal with.
They'll find themselves out in their reckoning, I hope."

As we got away from the land we felt the force of the wind, and the
chief ordering the sail to be set, we shot rapidly ahead. Still the
small canoes made very rapid way through the water. The chief looked at
us, as much as to ask, "What will you do, friends?" Mr Brand
understood him, and answered by producing our fire-arms. Fortunately we
had had very little necessity to expend our cask of powder and our shot,
and we had a good supply. The missionaries, when they saw the
fire-arms, put their hands to their heads as if in sorrow that it would
be necessary to shed blood, but some words spoken by their chief
reassured them. We could have told them that the sin lies with those
who make the attack, provided the other party has employed all evident
means to avoid hostilities.

By the orders of their chief our people got their own bows and spears
ready, and then they set to work with their paddles again, and plied
them most lustily, much increasing the speed of the canoe. This,
however, had only the effect of making our enemies redouble their
efforts to overtake us.

Mr Brand and Jerry and I were the best shots; the doctor was not a good
one, and Ben knew better how to manage a big gun than a musket.

"You will fire over their heads, will you not?" said the doctor.

"I think not," answered Mr Brand. "It will be mercy to make them feel
the effects of our power. If each of us can knock over one of their
pe