Then his faculties were alive and he saw the imminent need.

Leaping back, he uttered a piercing shout, and, drawing his pistol, he fired point blank at the first of the warriors.
Wilton, who had felt the same horror at sight of the dark faces, fired also, and there was a rush of feet as men came to their help.
The warriors were armed only with tomahawk and knife, and they had expected a surprise which they might have effected if it had not been for Robert's keenness, but more of them came continually and they made a formidable attack.

Sending forth yell after yell as a signal to their comrades in front that they had landed, they rushed forward.
Neither Robert nor Wilton ever had any clear idea of that fierce combat in the dark.

The defenders fired their rifles and pistols, if they had time, and then closed in with cold steel.

Meanwhile the attack on the front redoubled.