IN WHICH THE OFFICERS, NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, AND RANK AND FILE, ARE
ALL SENT TO THE RIGHT ABOUT.
About noon, the Yungfrau hove-to off the cave, and the troops were
told-off into the boats.
About half-past twelve, the troops were in the boats all ready.
About one, Mr Vanslyperken had hoisted out his own boats, and they were
manned. Mr Vanslyperken, with his pistols in his belt, and his sword
drawn, told Major Lincoln that he was all ready. Major Lincoln, with
his spy-glass in his hand, stepped into the boat with Mr Vanslyperken,
and the whole detachment pulled for the shore, and landed in the small
cove, where they found the smugglers' boats hoisted up on the rocks, at
which the men seemed rejoiced, as they took it for granted that they
would find some men to fight with instead of women. The major headed
his men, and they commenced a scramble up the rocks and arrived at the
foot of the high rock which formed the platform above at the mouth of
the cave, when the major cried "Halt!"--a very judicious order,
considering that it was impossible to go any further. The soldiers
looked about everywhere, but could find no cave, and after an hour's
strict search, Major Lincoln and his officers, glad to be rid of the
affair, held a consultation, and it was agreed that the troops should be
re-embarked. The men were marched down again, very hot from their
exertions, and thus the expedition would have ended without bloodshed,
had it not been for the incautious behaviour of a woman. That woman was
Moggy Salisbury, who, having observed that the troops were re-embarking,
took the opportunity, while Sir Robert and all the men were keeping
close, to hoist up a certain under-garment to a pole, as if in derision,
thus betraying the locality of the cave, and running the risk of
sacrificing the whole party in it. This, as it was going up, caught the
eye of one of the seamen in the boat, who cried out, "There goes the
ensign up to the peak at last."
"Where?" exclaimed the major, pulling out his telescope; "Yes, by
heavens! there it is--and there then must be the cave."
Neither Sir Robert nor any of the conspirators were aware of this
manoeuvre of Moggy's; for Smallbones, perceiving what she had done,
hauled it down again in a minute afterwards. But it had been hoisted,
and the major considered it his duty to return; so once more the troop
ascended the precipitous path.
Moggy then went into the cave. "They have found us out, sir," said she,
"they point to us, and are coming up again. I will stand as sentry.
The men won't fire at me, and if they do I don't care."
Sir Robert and Ramsay were in close consultation. It appeared to them
that by a bold manoeuvre they would be able to get out of their scrape.
The wind had gone down altogether, the sea was as smooth as glass, and
there was every appearance of a continued calm.
"If we could manage it--and I think we may--then the sooner the affair
is brought to an issue the better."
Moggy had now taken a musket on her shoulder, and was pacing up and down
the edge of the flat in imitation of a sentry. She was soon pointed
out, and a titter ran through the whole line: at last, as the major
approached, she called out--
"I say, soger, what are you doing here? keep off, or I'll put a bullet
in your jacket."
"My good woman," replied the major, while his men laughed, "we do not
want to hurt you, but you must surrender."
"Surrender!" cried Moggy, "who talks of surrender?--hoist the colours
there."
Up went the chemise to the end of the pole, and Smallbones grinned as he
hoisted it.
"My good woman, we must obey our orders."
"And I must obey mine," retorted Moggy. "Turn out the guard there."
All the women now made their appearance, as had been arranged, with
muskets on their shoulders, headed by little Lilly, with her drawn
sword.
The sight of the child commanding the detachment was hailed with loud
cheers and laughter.
"That will do, that will do," cried Sir Robert, fearful for Lilly, "let
them come in again."
"They'll not fire first, at all events," cried Moggy; "never fear, sir.
Guard, turn in," continued she; upon which Lilly and her squadron then
disappeared.
"Upon my honour this is too ridiculous," said Lieutenant Dillon.
"Upon my soul I don't know what is to be done," rejoined the major.
"Moggy, we must commence hostilities somehow or another," cried Sir
Robert from within. Smallbones here came out with his musket to release
Moggy, and Moggy retired into the cave.
The major, who imagined that there must be a path to the cave on the
other side, now advanced with the determination of finding it out, and
somehow or another putting an end to this unusual warfare.
"If you please you'll keep back, or I'll fire," cried Smallbones,
levelling his musket.
The major went on, heedless of the threat. Smallbones discharged his
piece, and the major fell.
"Confound that she-devil!--Are you hurt, major?" cried Lieutenant
Dillon.
"Yes, I am--I can't move."
Another shot was now fired, and the sergeant fell.
"Hell and flames! what must we do?"
But now the whole party of smugglers poured out of the cave, as women,
with bonnets on, and commenced a murderous fire upon the troops, who
fell in all directions. The captain, who had assumed the command, now
attempted to find his way to the other side of the cave, where he had no
doubt he should find the entrance, but in so doing the soldiers were
exposed to a most galling fire, without being able to return it.
At first, the troops refused to fire again, for that they had to deal
with the smugglers' wives, they made certain of: even in the thickest of
the smoke there was nothing masculine to be seen; and those troops who
were at a greater distance, and who could return the fire, did not.
They were rather amused at the character of the women, and not being
aware that their comrades were falling so fast, remained inactive. But
there is a limit to even gallantry, and as the wounded men were carried
past them, their indignation was roused, and, at last, the fire was as
warmly returned; but before that took place, one half of the detachment
were _hors de combat_.
All the assistance which they might have received from the covering
party of sailors on the beach was neutralised; they did not know how
much the soldiers had suffered, and although they fired in pursuance of
orders, they would not take any aim.
For some time, the soldiers were forced on to the eastern side of the
rock, which, as the reader may recollect, was much more precipitous than
the western side, where it was descended from by the ladder. Here they
were at the mercy of the conspirators, who, concealed below the masses
of the rock on the platform, took unerring aim. The captain had fallen,
Lieutenant Dillon was badly wounded and led back to the boats, and the
command had devolved upon a young man who had but just joined the
regiment, and who was ignorant of anything like military tactics, even
if they could have been brought into play upon the service.
"Do you call this fighting with women, Sergeant Tanner?" said one of the
men. "I've seen service, but such a murderous fire I was never in.
Why, we've lost two-thirds of our men."
"And shall lose them all before we find out the mouth of this cursed
cave. The regiment has lost its character for ever, and I don't care
how soon a bullet settles my business."
Ramsay now detached a party of the men to fire at the covering party of
seamen who were standing by the boats in the cove, and who were
unprotected, while his men were concealed behind the masses of rocks.
Many fell, wounded or killed; and Vanslyperken, after shifting about
from one position to another, ordered the wounded men to be put into his
boat, and with two hands he pulled off as he said to procure more
ammunition, leaving the remainder of his detachment on shore, to do as
well as they could.
"I thought as how this work would be too warm for him," observed Bill
Spurey.
"Yes," replied Short, who, at the moment, received a bullet in his
thigh, and fell down among the rocks.
The fire upon the seamen continued to be effective. Move from their
post they did not, but one after another they sank wounded on the
ground. The soldiers, who were now without any one to command them, for
those who had forced their way to the western side of the rock, finding
that advance or retreat was alike impossible, crawled under the sides of
the precipice to retreat from a murderous fire which they could not
return. The others were scattered here and there, protecting themselves
as well as they could below the masses of stone, and returning the fire
of the conspirators surely and desperately. But of the hundred men sent
on the expedition, there were not twenty who were not killed or wounded,
and nearly the whole detachment of seamen had fallen where they stood.
It was then four o'clock; the few men who remained unhurt were suffering
from the extreme heat and exertion, and devoured with thirst. The
wounded cried for water. The sea was still, calm, and smooth as a
mirror; not a breath of wind blew to cool the fevered brows of the
wounded men, and the cutter, with her sails hanging listless, floated
about on the glassy water, about a quarter of a mile from the beach.
"Now is our time, Sir Robert."
"Yes, Ramsay--now for one bold dash--off with this woman's gear, my
men--buckle on your swords and put pistols in your belts."
In a very short time this order was complied with, and, notwithstanding
some of the men were wounded in this day's affair, as well as in the
struggle for the deck of the cutter, the three bands from Amsterdam,
Portsmouth, and Cherbourg, mustered forty resolute and powerful men.
The ladder was lowered down, and they descended. Sir Robert ordered
Jemmy Ducks and Smallbones to remain and haul up the ladder again, and
the whole body hastened down to the cove, headed by Sir Robert and
Ramsay, seized the boats, and shoved off for the cutter.