"
"I should like to take a farewell embrace of your dear mother," said
Mr. Seagrave; "but, no; it will be weakness just now. Here they come,
William, in a swarm. Well, God bless you, my boy; we shall all, I
trust, meet in Heaven!"
The whole body of savages were now advancing from the cocoa-nut wood in
a solid mass; they raised a yell, which struck terror into the hearts
of Mrs. Seagrave and Juno, yet they flinched not. The savages were
again within fifty yards of them, when the fire was opened upon them;
the fire was answered by loud yells, and the savages had already
reached to the bottom of the sloping pile of faggots, when the yells
and the reports of the muskets were drowned by a much louder report,
followed by the crackling and breaking of the cocoa-nut trees, which
made both parties start with surprise; another and another followed,
the ground was ploughed up, and the savages fell in numbers.
"It must be the cannon of a ship, father," said William; "we are saved
- we are saved!"
"It can be nothing else; we are saved, and by a miracle!" replied Mr.
Seagrave in utter astonishment.
The savages paused in the advance, quite stupefied; again, again,
again, the report of the loud guns boomed through the air, and the
round-shot and grape came whizzing and tearing through the cocoa-nut
grove; at this last broadside, the savages turned, and fled towards
their canoes: not one was left to be seen.
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