Adventures of the Explorers 131 



other natives came to the rescue and Jones fled 

 for life down the fore hatch. The other unhurt 

 members of the crew had, meantime, escaped 

 either to the hold or the rigging, leaving the tri- 

 umphant savages to take charge and head the ship 

 for the shore. 



Then the men aloft cut away the running rig- 

 ging to impede the progress of the ship, while 

 those below, led by Jones, worked their way aft. 

 Finding in the cabin a number of muskets, with 

 ammunition, a fire was opened on the savages, 

 though not with decisive effect, because they 

 gathered in places out of sight. 



In trying to get out of range a number of the 

 natives perched themselves above the companion- 

 way, which they had closed, and this gave Jones 

 an idea. Placing an open cannister of powder 

 close up under this group, he laid a short train 

 and then, regardless of the danger he incurred, 

 he fired it. The explosion tore off the roof of 

 the cabin and hurled the natives away; where- 

 upon Jones led his men on deck and drove the 

 savages overboard before they could recover 

 from the panic the explosion had created. 



