the water-side."

"Do you hear this, Caesar?" asked Murray. "Is there any path down to
the water-side without using a boat along the river?"

"Yes, sah, but Massa Huggin men all dah, and um think they come 'long
again to burn Massa Allen house up. Murray Frank look! All de window
burn fire."

"Yes, they're trying another way of attack," said the chief
officer--"one that I have been wondering that they did not try before.
Up-stairs with you, my lad. You go too, Mr Murray. You must pick off
those who come up with their firebrands. You'll be able to see the
scoundrels now. This is better than that horrible darkness. Ah, the
business is warming up. Give them a cheer, my lads, as soon as you are
up at the windows. The captain will hear our response, and it will let
him know where we are."

"But is that the _Seafowl_, sir?" cried Murray excitedly.

"Without doubt, my lad; but she sounds a long way off."

For the steady fire of big guns had begun, but as the chief officer had
said, sounding some distance away.

"Dat Massa Huggin big schooner, sah," said Caesar sharply; and he had
hardly spoken when the heavy but sharp brassy sound of a big gun came
from quite another direction. "And dat Massa Huggin oder schooner, sah.
Dat um Long Tom."

"Confound the scoundrel!" cried the lieutenant excitedly. "Up with you,
Mr Murray. Here they come to the attack again. Take May with you, or
we shall be burnt out before help can come. Well, what's that then?" he
shouted excitedly, as Murray rushed up the stairs towards the rooms he
had helped before to put in a state of defence. "Surely that is one of
our brig's carronades. It was time she began to speak."

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT.

"LET 'EM HAVE IT."

"That's your sort, my lads! Let 'em have it!" came in the boatswain's
gruff voice, as Murray reached the wide corridor-like landing of the
planter's house; and directly after one of the sailors shouted--

"I'm after you, Tommy, old man. Show the ugly foreign varmint what a
British bulldog is."

The words came from where a struggle was going on in one of the chambers
which the midshipman had helped to barricade before he left upon his
unfortunate mission to fetch help; and as the lad now crossed the
corridor and ran into the room, followed by Caesar, it was to see that
several of the enemy had gained a footing by rearing bamboos against the
windows, and evidently in their first charge had beaten the English
de