ugh to throw a
stone at a dog."

Hardly had these taunting words escaped his lips, than "bang, crash,"
and a four-and-twenty pound shot came reeking through the
waist-hammocks,--for they had not yet been piped down,--and covered us
over with horse-hair, and an abominable composition called flock. The
ball took a slanting direction through the main and orlop decks, and
came out just below the water-line, making instantly a leak that we
could not affect to despise.

"Droll," said Reud, shaking the dust from his person.

"Very," said his well-dined echoes around him.

If this be jesting, thought I, the cream of the joke is to come yet.

"Beat to quarters, Mr Rattlin."

The lieutenants and more than half of the crew were away in the boats.
The men were soon at their guns, and, as they had been only slightly
secured, they were ready to return the fire almost immediately. Upon
looking up at the source of our annoyance, we found that it was a
hopeless case. The height was so great, and so immediately above us,
that, without heeling the frigate over, not a gun could be brought to
bear. Another shot from the battery served to quicken our
deliberations. There was no time to be lost.

Captain Reud sent the various commanders on board their respective
vessels, with orders, as fast as any of their boats came in, to send
them to us immediately, with their marines. For ourselves, all our
boats were away except the gig. Into that I jumped, followed by the
captain and six marines. Every man, except a quarter-master and a
couple of look-outs, was piped down below, with strict orders that they
were to stay there and not expose themselves, and the ship was left in
charge of the gunner; whilst the carpenter and his crew were actively
employed in the wings, in plugging the shot-holes; for every ball that
was fired came in somewhere upon the decks, and made its way through the
ship's sides, low under the water.

However, annoying as this was, there were but two guns playing upon us,
which, though served with admirable precision, fired but slowly. We had
not lain on our oars a quarter of an hour, between the ship and the
shore, a space of not more than forty yards, when we were joined by
seven boats of various dimensions, crammed as full of jollies as they
could possibly hold. We were on shore in a moment, and, without much
care as to forming, we all scrambled up the hill as fast as we could.
It was very steep indeed, but w