Just as they reached the top, they heard a shout.

Looking back, they saw that all was confusion.
The string of the armorer's bow had snapped, and the natives, knowing nothing of guns, believed that the party were now unarmed.
As the armorer was restringing his bow, one of the natives shot an arrow at him, and he fell, mortally wounded.

One standing near now raised his arquebus; but before he could fire, he too was pierced by two arrows, and fell dead.

The admiral himself caught up the arquebus, and shot the man who had first fired.
The little party on the hill had been struck with amazement and consternation at the sudden outburst, and were recalled to a sense of their danger by the whiz of an arrow, which struck Master Arbuckle in the heart; and at the same moment a dozen of the savages made their appearance, from among the trees below them.
Seeing the deadliness of their aim, and that he and Tom would be shot down at once, before they could get to close quarters, Ned turned to fly.
"Quick, Tom, for your life!" Fortunately, they stood on the very top of the ascent, so that a single bound backwards took them out of sight and range of their enemies.

There was a wood a few hundred yards inland, apparently of great extent, and towards this the lads ran at the top of their speed.