k for help.

They had not gone far in the woods, when they saw, to their great grief
and rage, that their huts were in flames, and that the wild men ran to
and fro, like beasts in search of prey. But still our men went on, and
did not halt, till they came to a thick part of the wood, where the
large trunk of an old tree stood, and in this tree they both took their
post. But they had not been there long, when two of the wild men ran
that way, and they saw three more, and then five more, who all ran the
same way, as if they knew where they were.

Our two poor men made up their minds to let the first two pass, and then
take the three and the five in line, as they came up, but to fire at one
at a time, as the first shot might chance to hit all three.

So the man who was to fire put three or four balls in his gun, and from
a hole in the tree, took a sure aim, and stood still till the three wild
men came so near that he could not miss them. They soon saw that one of
these three was the slave that had fled from them, as they both knew him
well, and they made up their minds that they would kill him, though they
should both fire.

At the first shot two of the wild men fell dead, and the third had a
graze on his arm, and though not much hurt, sat down on the ground with
loud screams and yells. When the five men who came next, heard the sound
of the gun and the slave's cries, they stood still at first, as if they
were struck dumb with fright. So our two men both shot off their guns in
the midst of them, and then ran up and bound them safe with cords.

They then went to the thick part of the wood, where they had put their
wives and slaves, to see if all were safe there, and to their joy they
found that though the wild men had been quite near them, they had not
found them out. While they were here, the chief and his men came up, and
told them that the rest had gone to take care of my old house and grove,
in case the troop of wild men should spread so far that way.

They then went back to the burnt huts, and when they came in sight of
the shore, they found that their foes had all gone out to sea. So they
set to work to build up their huts, and as all the men in the isle lent
them their aid, they were soon in a way to thrive once more. For five or
six months they saw no more of the wild men. But one day a large fleet
of more than a score of boats came in sight, full of men who had bows,
darts, clubs, swords, and such like arms of