pounce upon the other musket, which was
carried by old Bob. He wrenched it out of the sailor's hand and bounded
away with a shout, swinging it over his head. Unfortunately his fingers
touched the trigger and the piece exploded, knocking down the man who
held it, and sending the ball close past the chief's ear.

Instantly there followed a loud yell, clubs were brandished, cutlasses
gleamed, and blood would certainly have been spilt had not Captain Dall
suddenly seized the chief by the shoulders and rubbed noses with him.
He knew this to be the mode of salutation among some of the South Sea
tribes, and sought to make a last effort at conciliation. The act was
reciprocated by the chief, who signed to his men to forbear.

Captain Dall now felt convinced that any undecided course of action
would only render their case more desperate, so he turned to his men
with a look of authority and said sternly--

"My lads, we have only one hope left to us, and that is, submission.
Throw down your weapons, and put your trust in the Almighty."

The men obeyed--some with hesitation and others sullenly; they flung
their cutlasses on the sand and crossed their arms on their breasts. No
sooner was this done than the savages rushed upon them in overwhelming
numbers, and they were instantly overpowered. Larry O'Hale and Will
Osten, with some of the younger men, struggled fiercely, and knocked
down several of their opponents before they were subdued, but against
such overwhelming odds they had no chance. It would have been better
for them had they acted on the captain's advice. Whatever is worth
doing is worth doing well, and this truth is not less applicable to the
act of submission than to that of resistance. The only result of their
ill-timed display of valour was the tighter fastening of the cords with
which the savages bound them hand and foot, and somewhat rough handling
when they, with their comrades, were tossed into the bottom of the
canoe.

After the sailors were secured, the natives collected the provisions
that had been brought by them to the island, and stowed these also in
the canoe. This occupied a considerable time, for they were so careful
to avoid missing anything, that they ranged over the whole island,
examining every part minutely, and leaving nothing behind that had the
slightest appearance of value in their eyes. During all this time the
white men were left lying in the water which had leaked into the canoe.