body of
natives advancing towards him.

"Where are Mr Rogers and his men?" he inquired.

"They went in that direction," was the answer.

"It is possible, sir, that they have got back to the boats by some other
way," said Bird. "We fancied we caught sight of them between the trees
in the distance."

Mr Norman, however, not satisfied that such was the case, was about to
lead forward his men in the direction which Tom, Desmond, and his
companions had taken, when the natives in considerable numbers spread
out in front of him, evidently intending to dispute his advance. As the
captain had given him strict orders on no account to show any hostility
to the inhabitants, he considered it his duty to halt and make signs of
friendship. This, however, produced no effect on the natives. Had
either Nick or Pipes been with him he might have opened a communication,
but they had gone on with Tom Rogers, and he had no means of making the
natives understand that he wished to be on friendly terms with them.

They soon showed their hostility by firing several shots. The
lieutenant, therefore, felt it his duty to call his men together and to
retreat in order to the boats, hoping to find that Tom and his party had
already reached them. As soon as they began to retreat the enemy
pressed on. He now gave the order to fire in return, but no sooner did
the seamen lift their muskets to their shoulders than the natives got
under cover, and although the shot must have passed close to them, no
one apparently was hurt. As others were seen coming up, Mr Norman
continued to retreat.

The enemy now grew bolder, and showers of arrows fell around the seamen,
in addition to the bullets which whistled past their ears. The moment
they halted to fire, the natives again dodged behind the trees, though
they did not altogether escape, and two or three were seen to fall. The
enemy, increasing in numbers, rushed boldly on, and only stopped when
the sailors turned round to fire at them. Mr Norman was wounded in the
arm by a bullet, and an arrow struck him in the side. Calling on his
men again to halt and fire, he succeeded in pulling it out and continued
to retire. Four of his men were shortly afterwards wounded, either by
bullets or arrows, but happily as yet none had fallen.

At length he could see the boats in the distance. He hoped that Tom
Rogers and his men would come to his assistance, but he looked in vain.
Except the two men in the boat