The governor behaved admirably on this trying occasion.  He issued his orders clearly, calmly, and promptly.  Calling on Bigelow and Jones by name, he ordered them to withdraw the bridge, which could easily be done by hauling over the planks by means of wheels that had long been fitted for that purpose.  The bridge withdrawn, the channel, or harbour, answered all the purposes of a ditch; though the South Sea islanders would think but little of swimming across it.  Of course, Waally’s men knew nothing of this bridge, nor did they know of the existence of the basin between them and their prey.  They rushed directly towards the ship-yard, and loud were their yells of disappointment when they found a broad reach of water still separating them from the whites.  Naturally they looked for the point of connection; but, by this time, the planks were wheeled in, and the communication was severed.  At this instant, Waally had all his muskets discharged, and the gun fired from the catamaran, on which it was mounted.  No one was injured by this volley, but a famous noise was made; and noise passed for a good deal in the warfare of that day and region.

It was now the turn of the colonists.  At the first alarm everybody rushed to arms, and every post was manned, or womaned, in a minute.  On the poop of the ship was planted one of the cannon, loaded with grape, and pointed so as to sweep the strait of the bridge.  It is true, the distance was fully a mile, but Betts had elevated the gun with a view to its sending its missiles as far as was necessary.  The other carronades on the Summit were pointed so as to sweep the portion of the hog pasture that was nearest, and which was now swarming with enemies, Waally, himself, was in front, and was evidently selecting a party that was to swim for the sandy beach, a sort of forlorn hope.  No time was to be lost.  Juno, a perfect heroine in her way, stood by the gun on the poop, while Dido was at those on the Summit, each brandishing or blowing, a lighted match.  The governor made the preconcerted signal to the last, and she applied the match.  Away went the grape, rattling along the surface of the opposite rocks, and damaging at least a dozen of Waally’s men.  Three were killed outright, and the wounds of the rest were very serious.  A yell followed, and a young chief rushed towards the strait, with frantic cries, as if bent on leaping across the chasm.  He was followed by a hundred warriors.  Mark now made the signal to Juno.  Not a moment was lost by the undaunted girl, who touched off her gun in the very nick of time.  Down came the grape, hissing along the Reef; and, rebounding from its surface, away it leaped across the strait, flying through the thickest of the assailants.  A dozen more suffered by that discharge.  Waally now saw that a crisis was reached, and his efforts to recover the ground lost were worthy of his reputation.  Calling to the swimmers, he succeeded in getting them down into the water in scores.