hat all is over?"

But this they had already learned. Marion, after the things had been
passed up, had taken her place at the top of the companion, occasionally
peering out to see what was going on, and running down with the news to
them below, and as the loud cheer which preceded the charge had broken
from those on deck, she had called out to the ladies below that the
natives were beaten. The shower of spears from the boats had ceased as
soon as the natives saw their friends leaping overboard, and as Mr.
Renshaw ascended the poop to deliver the message the ladies were
flocking out on deck, each anxious to ascertain whether those most dear
to them had suffered in the fray. Marion run forward and threw herself
into his arms.

"Not hurt, father?"

"No, my dear, thank God. Some of us have got spear wounds more or less
awkward, but nobody has been killed except those who were struck down at
the beginning." As he spoke the four cannon boomed out one after
another, for they had been loaded some days before, and a hail of
bullets and pieces of iron with which they had been crammed tore through
the canoes, while terrible yells rose from the natives. Three of the
canoes were instantly sunk, and half the paddlers in the large boat of
the chief were killed or disabled. Almost the same instant a dropping
fire of musketry was opened, the passengers firing as soon as they had
reloaded their pieces.

"Give another dose to that big fellow!" the second officer shouted to
the men at the two guns at that side of the ship. "Shove a ball in, men,
and a bagful of bullets--take steady aim, and remember the poor
captain!" A minute later the guns were fired. A terrible cry was heard,
and almost instantaneously the great canoe disappeared below the water.

"Get the other two guns over to this side," Mr. Rawlins said; "we must
lend a hand now to the party ashore. Load all the guns with grape, and
aim at those canoes between us and them." These, following the example
of those around the ship, were already moving towards the shore, and the
discharge of the four guns sunk two of them and sent the others off in
headlong flight.

"What had we better do now, Mr. Atherton?"

"I should load with round shot now, Rawlins, and open fire into the wood
on both sides of the landing-place. The sound of the shot crashing among
the trees will demoralize the scoundrels even if you do not hit anyone."

Three or four rounds were fired, and then those on boa