. Now, I
thought to myself, I should like to see some fun. They are planning
something, that is certain. I wonder what it can be. In a short time
the cutter and barge were ordered away, it being understood that Mr
Schank would take the command of the former and would be accompanied by
Lieutenant Spry of the Marines, while the Third-Lieutenant, Mr
Bramston, took charge of the barge. Including marines and blue-jackets
the party mustered rather more than forty in all. They waited till dusk
to leave the ship. This just suited my plan of operation. As the arms,
provisions, and other articles were being lowered into the boat, I
managed to slip down and to stow myself away in the barge forward under
a sail. I required but little space for hiding away. Just at dusk the
two boats shoved off, and away we went towards the shore; I heard the
men say that the object of the expedition was to cut out several luggers
lying in a small harbour with a town at the further end of it. We had a
long pull, for we were at such, a distance from the coast that the
frigate could not have been seen from it. At all events the inhabitants
of the town would not have suspected that any boats would come from a
vessel whose topgallant sails could only just have been visible. At
length, after pulling for some hours, the lights on shore were seen, and
in a short time the boats came off the mouth of the harbour; but then it
was found that the luggers were some little way up it, and that a strong
fort guarded the town and entrance. Mr Schank and the Lieutenant of
Marines agreed that the first thing to be done was to take the fort. We
could not land close to it on account of the rocks, and therefore had to
pull some distance to the south before the party could get on shore.

When they all left the boats I had no fancy to remain behind, and
therefore scrambled out after the rest, although one of the boat-keepers
attempted to stop me by catching hold of my leg. I escaped him,
however, and ran on among the men.

"Hillo, little chap! Where did you come from?" exclaimed several of
them as they first discovered me.

I replied that I wanted to go and help them fight the enemy. I was
passed to Mr Schank. "Why, Ben," he said, "what business have you to
be here? What can you do?"

"Please, sir, I can carry your flask if you will let me, or if anybody
is hit I can stay by them and help them."

"I have a great mind to send you back, Master Ben."