of the cannon below, and were just level with the top of the touch
hole. Thus, it would be next to impossible to extricate them in a
hurry. They might, indeed, be broken and forced in by a solid punch,
of the same size as the touch hole; but this would take time, and
would not be likely to occur, on the moment, to the pirates.

The skewers, for this is what they resembled, were very strong and
tough; being made of slips of bamboo. The prisoners had all knives,
which they used for cutting their food. With these the work was
accomplished.

Towards morning the five natives, with the skewers hidden away in
their loincloths, and their turbans twisted in Mahratta fashion, stole
out from the casemate. Charlie had ordered that, in case they should
see that the ships had drawn off from the position they occupied on
the preceding day, they should return without attempting to carry out
their task.

He himself, with Tim, joined the sailors; and, first ascending the
ramparts and seeing that the ships were still at anchor, abreast of
the fort, he and his comrades strolled across the interior of the
fort, in the direction of the magazine. They did not keep together,
nor did all move directly towards the position which they wished to
gain.

The place was already astir. Large numbers of the pirates thronged the
interior. Groups were squatted round fires, busy in cooking their
breakfasts. Numbers were coming from the magazine, with powder to fill
up the small magazines on the walls. Others, again, were carrying shot
from the pyramids of missiles, piled up here and there in the
courtyard. None paid any attention to the English prisoners.

Presently a dull boom was heard. There was a whistling sound; and with
a thud, followed by a loud explosion, a bomb fell and burst in the
open space.

This was the signal for action. The pirates, in a moment, hurried down
to the bastions overlooking the sea; and the Englishmen gathered, in a
group, near the entrance to the magazine. Besides their knives they
had no arms, but each had picked up two or three heavy stones.

A minute after the explosion of the shell, the cannonade of the ships
broke out. It was answered by only a few guns from the fortress, and
yells of astonishment and rage were heard to arise.

A moment later, five natives ran up to the group of Englishmen. Their
work had been well done, and more than three-fourths of the guns on
the sea face had been rendered temporarily useless