nstantly gave the order to anchor. The crew swarmed aloft to
hand sails, the French colours was hauled down, and the English run up
at the peak. At the same moment the stranger opened a hot fire from the
whole of her broadside.

"Fire," cried Captain Headland, and the _Thisbe_ returned the warm
salute she had received.

The battery on shore and the small vessels at the same time began
peppering away at her.

Broadsides were exchanged with great rapidity between the combatants.
The firing calming the light wind which had been blowing, the two ships
were soon shrouded in a canopy of smoke. The English crew redoubled
their efforts. Several had been struck, yet two only lay dead on her
deck.

The Frenchman's fire, however, at length began to slacken, and in little
more than a quarter of an hour down came the tricoloured flag, loud
cheers bursting from the throats of the _Thisbe's_ crew. A boat was
instantly sent under the command of the second lieutenant to take
possession of the prize, but as he was pulling alongside the Frenchmen
were seen lowering their boats, in which a considerable number made
their escape to the shore.

The battery continued firing, and Captain Headland directed Harry to
land with a boat's crew and silence it. Jacob accompanied him. The
smaller vessels meantime cut their cables, some running on shore, and
others endeavouring to make their escape through the intricate passages,
where the English ship could not follow them.

Harry, ordering his men to give way, pulled rapidly for the beach,
exposed to a hot fire of musketry in addition to that from the heavy
guns in the battery. Forming his men, he led the way up the steep bank.

The battery had been rapidly thrown up, and offered no insuperable
impediment. Sword in hand he leaped over the parapet, followed closely
by Jacob and the rest of his men.

At the same moment a bullet struck him on the shoulder, and a tall
French officer, supported by a party of his men, was on the point of
cutting him down as he fell forward, when Jacob, with uplifted cutlass,
saved him from the blow, returning it with such interest that his
assailant fell back wounded among his men.

At this juncture a number of the French who had landed from the ship
entered the fort to assist its defenders, and attacked the small party
of English who had accompanied Harry. Jacob threw himself across the
body of his lieutenant, and defended him bravely from the attacks o