d upon, that they should make an attempt to recover
the vessel as soon as they could.

In the meantime, Ramsay with Wilhelmina, and the Jesuits, had taken
possession of the cabin, and had opened all the despatches which
acquainted them with the directions in detail, given for the taking of
the conspirators at Portsmouth, and in the cave. Had it not been to
save his friends, Ramsay would, at once have taken the cutter to
Cherbourg, and have there landed Wilhelmina and the treasure; but his
anxiety for his friends determined him to run at once for the cave, and
send overland to Portsmouth. The wind was fair and the water smooth,
and, before morning, the cutter was on her way.

In the meantime, the crew of the cutter had not been idle; the ladders
had been taken up and hatches closed. The only chance of success was an
attack upon the guard, who was stationed outside of the cabin.

They had six pistols, about two hundred pounds of ammunition; but, with
the exception of half-a-dozen bayonets, no other weapons. But they were
resolute men, and as soon as they had made their arrangements, which
consisted of piling up their hammocks, so as to make a barricade to fire
over, they then commenced operations, the first signal of which was a
pistol-shot discharged at the men who were on guard in the passage, and
which wounded one of them. Ramsay darted out of the cabin at the report
of the pistol; another and another was discharged, and Ramsay then gave
the order to fire in return. This was done, but without injury to the
seamen of the cutter, who were protected by the hammocks, and Ramsay,
having already three of his men wounded, found that the post below was
no longer tenable. A consultation took place, and it was determined
that the passage on the lower deck and the cabin should be abandoned, as
the upper deck it would be easy to retain.

The cabin's skylight was taken off, and the boxes of gold handed up,
while the party outside the cabin door maintained the conflict with the
crew of the Yungfrau. When all the boxes were up, Wilhelmina was lifted
on deck, the skylight was shipped on again, and, as soon as the
after-hatches were ready to put on, Ramsay's men retreated at the
ladder, which they drew up after them, and then put on the hatches.

Had not the barricade of hammocks prevented them, the crew of the
Yungfrau might have made a rush, and followed the others on deck; but,
before they could beat down the barricades,