There was still some light left, and, as we drew near, it appeared to me
that the decks were somewhat crowded. I asked Grey what he thought. He
agreed with me. Still it was too late to retreat. We had not got much
farther when bright flashes of flame burst from the stern, and, what we
little expected, a shower of bullets rattled about us.

"Give way, lads, give way!" shouted Ned Dawlish. "We'll lick the Johnny
Crapeaus in spite of that."

The boat dashed on. We hoped to get alongside before another volley was
fired. In vain. Again a leaden shower rattled round our heads. Once
more Ned Dawlish shouted loudly. There was a deep groan, and he fell,
with his face bent down, to the bottom of the boat. Grey seized his
oar, and took his place. He had been shot in the back. Speed was
everything to us now. There must be a considerable number of small-arm
men on board, I saw; but even then it never occurred to me that we ought
to turn tail.

On we went. Still the enemy kept up a fire at us. Toby Bluff gave a
sharp cry. A bullet had hit him, but he answered me when I spoke, and
kept his seat. We had the muskets ready. I let go the tiller and
seized one. Grey and Billy Wise and two other men did the same, and let
fly among the enemy.

In another instant we were under the schooner's quarter. The bowman
hooked on. Without asking leave, up we scrambled, and, cutlass in hand,
in spite of boarding-pikes thrust at us, and pistols flashed in our
faces, began to play heartily about us among the very much astonished
Frenchmen.

CHAPTER NINE.

If the Frenchmen were very much astonished at finding us among them, we
were not the less so on discovering the number of our opponents.
Besides the crew, we found ourselves engaged with thirty or forty
soldiers; but had there been more, it would have been the better for us,
for so crowded were the schooner's decks, that they impeded each other's
movements. By the suddenness of our rush, we had gained the after part
of the vessel, and had killed or wounded half a dozen of the enemy
before they knew exactly what to do. The bodies of these men served as
a sort of rampart, while the bowman of our boat, having secured her,
climbed up the side to our support, thus allowing us a few seconds to
look about. In the centre of a group of vociferating, gesticulating,
grimace-making Frenchmen, some armed with muskets, others with swords
and cutlasses, and others pistols and boa