e rifles
might bring down as many of their number before they had killed us, and
this made them afraid of approaching too near until they could find us,
as they hoped, off our guard. It was not a pleasant feeling to know
that a party of savages was close upon our heels, and yet not to be able
even to get a sight of them; for after the momentary glance Tim and I
had obtained of our pursuers, they did not again show themselves, though
we felt sure that they were skulking along under cover of the trees and
bushes.

The old wrecker kept us at a good pace, scrambling and leaping over
fallen trunks, until we saw the top of the old lighthouse, for which we
had been looking, rising above the palmetto-scrub. The dense foliage
had hitherto concealed it, though it was not more than a hundred yards
off. We hurried on. Its massive walls would, at all events, afford us
a place of safety until daylight. At that instant our ears were
assailed by a fearful war-whoop, and a shower of bullets and arrows
whistled about our heads; but, happily, not one of us was hit.

"Keep together, gentlemen," cried Tim; "and don't fire until we can see
our enemies. If we do, they'll take the opportunity of springing upon
us before we have time to reload, and we shall be done for."

Happily the ground between us and the lighthouse was pretty open. As we
made our way over it, lighted by the moon, which had just risen, I could
see our schooner in the distance, standing in for the bay, and another
vessel farther off.

We dashed across the open as fast as our legs could carry us, expecting
every moment to have another shower of missiles sent rattling after us;
but the Indians were either stopping to reload, or were so much
astonished at seeing us unhurt that they thought it useless to fire
again. At all events, we gained the lighthouse in safety. There was a
strong door at the base, which, happily, had been left unbarred. We
dashed in and secured it, while we made our way up the winding steps to
the first landing-place, whence two narrow windows commanded the ground
below on either side. Scarcely had we reached it than we saw the
Indians bursting out from among the trees, not aware, apparently, that
we had already gained a place of safety. As we had not fired, they
might possibly have supposed that we were unarmed; for they advanced
fearlessly, shouting and shrieking, close up to the walls of the tower.

"Let them shout on," said Lejoillie, "