"Powder!" I exclaimed, and then I ran to the head of the stairs and
called down to my father: "They are going to blow in the door with
powder."
"Good!" said my father coolly, and issuing an order or two he drew all
his men together into the back room. "Stay where you are, Sep," he
whispered; "the explosion will not touch you, only, if we are hard
pressed afterwards, come down with your men and take the enemy in the
rear."
I felt my heart swell with pride at being treated like this, and the
nervous sensation of dread grew less.
"Sooner the better, Master Sep," said one of the workmen. "Better keep
away from the window, sir."
"No," I replied, "I must see what they are doing."
I felt that I must, and going to the window I stood upon a chair, and,
keeping out of sight, looked down from the upper corner just in time to
see a man run back from the door to join his companions, several of whom
held rough torches of oakum steeped in tar.
"What are they doing, Big?" I whispered.
"That fellow has just laid a powder-bag by the door. But, Sep, you
can't see any Englishmen there, can you?"
"No," I said hastily; "but I'm sure that's the French skipper Gualtiere
standing to the left of the French captain."
"So it is," whispered Bigley. "I thought I knew the face. Look out!"
"What are they going to do?"
"The men are being drawn back, all but the fellows with the lights, and
one of them is coming forward to light the powder. Yes; now all the
others are retiring."
"I can see," I whispered. "Now I can see the man with the torch. I
say, will it blow the place up?"
"I don't know," said Bigley in a low whisper; "but I feel horribly
frightened."
"So do I," I whispered back; "but don't let's show it, Big."
"I won't," he said sturdily.
Just then the man who had approached slowly made a dash in close to the
house, and I was thinking that somebody ought to have shot him down when
he dashed back again, and his friends received him with a loud shrill
cheer.
As the cheer died away there was a low hissing noise from outside, and I
knew it was the fuse burning, and then we all shrank together to the
farthest corner of the room, waiting in the most painful suspense for
the explosion, which we knew must follow, but which seemed as if it
would never come.
It was only a matter of so many seconds, but they seemed to be minutes
of terrible suspense, before there was a flash, the air seemed to have
been sucked out of the room, and then, in the midst of a terrific roar,
the floor was lifted up, and one end then fell, so that we all slid down
into the room below in the midst of splinters, plaster, dust, and broken
joists, just as the Frenchmen uttered a yell, and came dashing towards
the open door.
What followed was one scene of wild confusion. It seemed that my father
and his men came dashing out of the back room, and we were seized and
dragged over the heap of broken wood-work and plaster, to be placed
behind it, where we struggled to our feet, and then, in the midst of the
clouds of blinding dust and choking gunpowder smoke, everybody made a
breast-work of the damaged wood, and received the charge of the French
sailors with pistol-shots and blows from the cutlasses.
This proved so effective that they fell back, running out as fast as
they came in, and my father took advantage of the lull to have a few
pieces of furniture dragged forward, and laid upon the heap of refuse so
as to give us a better breast-work to fight behind.
"Hurt, Sep?" cried my father.
"No," I replied, "only shaken."
"That's well. Keep more back, my boy. Now, lads, cutlasses; here they
come!"
There was a yell and a rush, the clashing of steel, with shouts and
groans, and the Frenchmen were beaten back again.
"Time for breathing, my lads," cried my father, as we stood there in the
darkness with the light full upon our enemies as they gathered at a
short distance from the shattered doorway. "Who's hurt?"
"No one much, captain," growled the foreman. "A few chops and
scratches. Here they are!"
For just then there was a yell, and the enemy rushed at us, coming in a
little column, and this time led by an officer.
They could only come in two at a time; but, as they darkened the doorway
and made their rush, they spread out as they entered like a fan right
and left, and once more the groans, yells, and blows rang out.
It was clearer now, for the smoke and dust had floated out, and I could
see something of the desperate fight that was going on, with men
falling, and others of the Frenchmen from behind filling their places,
for they kept on thronging in through the open doorway, till the
counting-house was densely packed, and those behind literally drove
their companions forward, till the rough breast-work was beaten and
trampled down, and our little party forced back towards the wall that
separated us from the inner room, in which there was a doorway leading
into a back place, opening on to the cliff slope.
I can't pretend to describe what took place accurately. All I know is,
that in the midst of a scene of shouting, yelling, and clashing
cutlasses, I found myself crushed against the back wall with my sword
above my head, and my ribs seeming to give way, as I was pinned there
helplessly, till all at once there was a tremendous crash, and we were
all driven backwards in a heap, friends and enemies together.
For the wood-work partition, already damaged by the force of the
explosion, had given way, and we were precipitated into the back room.
What followed I hardly know, for as the men struggled up from the ruin
the fight began again, and the result was that I found myself with my
father and five men in the little back place of all, where the door
opened out into the valley; but of course it was locked and barricaded
inside, and the door into the back room was held by my father, the
foreman, and two others, who were keeping about a dozen Frenchmen at
bay, yelling and cutting and thrusting at them.
"Sep! Here! Quick!" my father shouted, without turning his head, for
the enemy kept him occupied parrying their cuts and points.
"I am here, father," I said, getting close behind him.
"Right. Stand firm, my lads!" said my father. "We're beaten, but we
must retreat in order. Ah, would you?"
This last was to a Frenchman who dashed in at him, but only to have his
thrust parried, and to go down with an upward cut which disabled his
sword arm.
"Sep," he whispered then, "open the back door. Be ready. We must now
make a dash for the rocks. You lead; I'll keep the rear. Mind, my
lads," he said to the stanch group about him, "keep together. If you
separate you are lost. You'll be cut down or prisoners before you can
raise a hand."
These words were all said in a jerky way in the midst of plenty of
cutting and foining; for, though the Frenchmen did not attempt to pass
the doorway, they kept on making fierce thrusts at us, though with
little result.
I crept back and unfastened the door silently, so as not to draw the
enemy's attention, and, holding my sword ready, I peered out, the noise
going on drowning that I made with the lock and bolts.
To my dismay I saw that there were three of the enemy on guard, and,
closing the door softly, I took a couple of steps back, and told my
father.
"Only three!" he said coolly. "Oh, that's nothing. Now, then, to the
door! Hold it ready. In a few moments you will see us make a dash and
drive these fellows back. Then we shall turn and follow you. Dash out
with a good shout, and strike right and left. The men there are sure to
run. Then all for the rocks, and don't look back; we shall follow."
I obeyed him exactly. Just as I had the door ready to fling open, my
father, the foreman, and the others suddenly sprang forward, as if about
to drive the Frenchmen out of the counting-house, and they fell back.
Then open went the door. I saw our fellows turn round, and, sword in
hand and feeling as if I was going to my death, I dashed right at the
three men guarding the back, shouting "Hurrah!" at the top of my voice.
I felt sure that they would run me through, but my father was right.
One ran to the left, another to the right, and the other straight on up
the steep slope, and, as I cut at him desperately, down he went
untouched, save by a stone over which he tripped, and we all went over
him as we rushed up the valley side to the shelter of the rocks, and
with the enemy swarming out and after us.
It was rough work, but we knew our way. The enemy were strange, and
before we had toiled up a hundred yards they began to tail off. In
another hundred we were some way up, and panting behind a clump of rocks
that formed quite a little fort, while below us we could see the enemy
gathered together in a group, and evidently about to return.