e endeavouring to make their escape
from us. Not knowing where they were going, they ran right in among a
party of our men, who, not intending to hurt them, at all events began
to treat them in a way which naturally caused them very considerable
annoyance and alarm. The truth is, when soldiers and sailors take a
place by storm, they become more like wild beasts than human beings, and
I have witnessed scenes in my career which it makes me even now shudder
to think of.

The men into whose hands the ladies had fallen did not belong to our
ship. There was no officer with them; so, calling to Mr Johnson, I ran
on. Three of the ladies were elderly, but there were five others,
mostly young--one especially was, at least so I thought, a very pretty
fair girl. She looked pale and terribly frightened.

"Let those women alone," shouted Mr Johnson; but the men only looked
defiantly at him, and seemed in no way inclined to obey, which put him
in a great rage.

A boatswain has but little authority except over the men of his own
ship.

"Mind your own business," cried some of the marines. "What have you got
to say to us?"

Just then the ladies got more frightened than ever. The youngest lady
screamed, and, I thought, looked towards me. I sprang forward--I felt
more like a man than I had ever before done.

"Let go your hold," I exclaimed in a tone of authority, to the fellow
who had his hand on the fair girl's arm. "If one of you dares to
interfere with these ladies, I will have him up before the commodore,
and he'll make short work with the matter." The fellow still looked
defiant. "Let go," I again shouted, rushing at him with my dirk.

What I might have done I do not know, but at that moment a bullet struck
him in the head and knocked him over.

It was supposed I had shot the man, and a good many, even of his party,
siding with me and Mr Johnson, the ladies were released.

I made signs to the ladies, and endeavoured to assure them in French
that they were safe.

"I speak English," said the young lady. "Thank you--thank you very
much."

The Dutch soldiers had in the meantime thrown down their arms and taken
to flight. The shot which had wounded the man was nearly the last
fired. The Dutch flag was hauled down, and the shouts of our men
proclaimed that in about four hours we had captured, with the loss of
three killed and fourteen wounded, one of the strongest fortresses in
the West Indies.

I was determin