ne so, and they are as well aware as I am that mischief
is brewing."

On going on deck, we saw the captain speaking to the Indians, and
ordering them to return to their canoes. They appeared as if they were
going to obey him, when suddenly, each man drawing a weapon from beneath
his cloak uttered a fearful yell, and leaped at the officers and us.
The captain, with only a jack-knife in his hand, defended himself
bravely, killing four of his savage assailants.

Led by old Tom, I, with three or four other men, fought our way aft to
join the officers, intending, should we be overpowered, to leap, as we
had proposed, into the boat. I saw poor Mr Duncan struck down and hove
into a canoe alongside. The captain was apparently trying to reach the
cabin, probably to get his fire-arms, when he fell, struck by a hatchet
on the head.

"Follow me," cried Tom. "We may reach the boat through the cabin
windows." As he said this, he sprang down the companion-hatch, I and
two others following him. The remainder of our number were overtaken by
the savages before they could reach it. The last, Andrew Pearson, our
boatswain, contrived to secure the hatch. This gave us time to get hold
of the fire-arms fastened against the bulkheads, and to load and place
them ready for use on the table. There were at least a dozen muskets,
and as many brace of pistols. Had these been in our hands on deck, we
should probably have driven the savages overboard, or they would have
been deterred from making the attack. With them, we might now defend
our lives against vastly superior numbers.

The scuffle on deck was still going on, the yells of the savages rising
above the stifled groans and cries of our unfortunate shipmates. They
soon ceased, and then arose a shout of triumph from our enemies, and we
knew that we were the only survivors. But we too were in a desperate
plight. Tom was severely wounded, and the boatswain and the other man
had received several gashes. I, indeed, thanks to the way in which Tom
had defended me, was the only person unhurt.

"Green, do you look after the hatchway," said Pearson to the other man
who had escaped. "Tom, do you and Jack show your muskets through the
stern windows, I have some work to do. The savages think they have us
in a trap, but they are mistaken." He opened, as he spoke, a hatch
which led to the magazine, and I saw him uncoiling a long line of match,
one end of which he placed in the magazine,