Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/197

 CHAPTER XII

the 22d of July, while our first cutter, Lieutenant Alden and Midshipman Henry, and the Leopard, Lieutenant Underwood, were surveying the island of Malolo,  they ran short of provisions. Lieutenant Underwood and Midshipman Henry, with several of the boat’s crew,  landed upon this island and attempted to purchase food  from the natives. While engaged in trading, the hostage in the cutter under Lieutenant Alden, jumped overboard  and swam for the shore. Lieutenant Alden immediately leveled his rifle and shot at him, but he dodged the ball. The natives, seeing that the hostage had escaped, raised the war-cry, and then a bloody work commenced. Our officers and crew retreated to the water backwards, at  the same time firing and warding off with their bowie- knife pistols the arrows and spears which were flying  thick about their heads. Our little band fought bravely, and many of those savages were made to kiss the coral  reefs. Midshipman Henry was knocked down by a blow from a club on the back of the head. He quickly arose, however, and seizing his assailant, plunged his bowie- knife deep into the savage’s breast. The two then fell together, never to rise again.

Lieutenant Underwood, struck on the side of his head