Blakeney woke up on the floor of his tent. He could barely move from the mud caked all over him. With much grinding and gnashing of teeth, he managed to work his arm free and haul himself to his feet with the help of a tent pole. Another midshipman-Blakeney couldn't tell who-was hobbling down to the beach. Blakeney followed.
As soon as he hit the water, the mud began to dissolve in great clouds all around him. He moved around to try and wash his coat off, but it was pretty much ruined. With a mental sigh-seeing as he was underwater-Blakeney winced when he imagined how he would look. Not exactly like a captain.
However, no one seemed to mind. They were all following Blakeney's example and having a good time throwing the wet mud at each other. Blakeney suppressed a grin and peeled a patch of mud off his shoulder.
Stephen, once again, was taking notes on various birds on the shore who were too fascinated with the idiotic humans in the water to be bothered by him. He was as covered in as much mud as everyone else, but he didn't seem to notice.
Suddenly, there was a loud growling and snarling noise from the bushes. A big, spotted cat emerged and stood there, growling ferociously at Stephen, who immediately turned his attention to it. "Ah, a jaguar! Panthera onca! Amazing! They usually don't come this close to the coast!"
Blakeney began wading slowly towards his pistol on the shore, seeing as he noticed that the jaguar had teeth and Stephen didn't. However, as he got closer, he realized that the jaguar was trying to attack Stephen, but was being held back somehow. Then, he spotted the camouflaged cannibal holding the end of the vine leash attached to the jaguar's neck-who was letting go of it.
Stephen took a step back and tripped, and the jaguar landed on top of him. Killick, the captain's servant, dove for his pistol on the beach, but an arrow hissed out of the jungle and embedded itself in the sand beside it. The message was clear-fight and die.
But Blakeney was not about to let Stephen get savaged by the jaguar. He pretended to fall and let a wave wash him up on the shore. He grabbed his pistol, cocked it, and shot the jaguar in the hind leg. The animal roared with pain and fled back into the jungle.
The cannibal tribe burst from the jungle in full force, screaming that odd hooting noise Jack and Pullings had heard in the cave before they had climbed the cliff. Blakeney saw at once that the Surprise's crew was vastly outnumbered and called a retreat.
Everyone leapt into the small rowboats they had brought ashore. Stephen came sprinting out of his tent clutching his journals and surgeon's kit with only a few mild scratches to show for his fight with the jaguar. As he clambered into the last boat and helped push it off, the cannibals jumped into dugout canoes hidden under a sand dune and came after them, firing arrows and throwing spears.
Blakeney gulped and called, "Fire at will! Make every shot count! Keep rowing, oarsmen, don't shoot!"
He turned and hailed the Surprise. "Ahoy the Surprise! Marines, open fire!"
The captain of the marines bawled orders and soon, musket balls were whizzing over the longboats and sending cannibals toppling out of their canoes. But the tribe didn't turn around until they saw cannonballs being rammed into the cannons on the ship. With many roars of frustration, they turned around and paddled back to land. Blakeney just managed to hear the same cannibal that had yelled at Jack and Mr. Pullings the day before scream, rather stupidly, "We have your captain and his friend! They will not survive for this!" Then, the cannibal leader whacked him over the head and he shut up.
Blakeney gave the signal to cease fire and wiped his brow with a trembling hand. He gave a shaky smile and Stephen immediately started a cheer: "Three cheers for Captain Blakeney!"
Three hearty "Huzzahs!" echoed over the ocean. Blakeney smiled at Stephen with thanks and called, "Everyone, back to the Surprise! One of those natives said they have the captain and Mr. Pullings! We have some planning to do!"