party
of seamen were to be held in reserve. Sir Sidney Smith himself intended
to take his place on the tower, whence he could watch the operations.
Wilkinson and Edgar were to act as his aides-de-camp, the latter to
carry messages to the Turkish officers commanding the two columns,
while Wilkinson was to perform the same office to the central column.

"You and Mr. Condor may probably have opportunities of distinguishing
yourselves later on," he said; "the other midshipmen may have their turn
to-night."

CHAPTER XII.

A DESPERATE SIEGE.

Just as day began to break, the gates were opened, and the columns moved
out one after the other. The order that the strictest silence was to be
observed was obeyed by the sailors and marines; but the Turks, who were
wrought up to a pitch of enthusiasm, made so great a noise that the
moment they issued from the gate shots were fired by the advanced
pickets, and a few seconds later the roll of drums in the French lines
broke out, and it was clear that the whole camp was alarmed. Sir Sidney
Smith uttered an exclamation of anger. As concealment was useless, he
then sent the two midshipmen to order all the batteries to open fire
upon the French trenches, and as the first gun boomed out the ships and
gun-boats on both flanks also opened fire, and the trenches by which the
French must advance from the village were swept by a storm of shot. The
French batteries joined in the din, while the infantry in the advanced
trenches opened a heavy musketry fire.

"By Jove, the Turks mean fighting this time!" Wilkinson said, when he
and Edgar had both returned from carrying their orders. "Look at them,
they are going at the French trenches in gallant style."

The dark masses could be plainly made out in the gray light that was
now stealing over the sky. Undaunted by the heavy fire of the French,
the Turks rushed at the earthworks, scaled them, and engaged in a
desperate hand-to-hand fight with their defenders. But the chief
attention of the little group on the tower, where Captain Wilmot and
Colonel Phelypeaux had also stationed themselves, was riveted upon the
fight going on in front of them. Already the French were thronging down
from their trenches, and the blue-jackets and marines were engaged in a
fierce fight. Knight, second of the _Tigre_, received two balls in his
left arm as he advanced, but upon arriving at the top of the shaft of
the mine he and the pioneers at once leapt down in