ried, raising his sword.

"Hurray!" shouted the brave fellows; and every cutlass flashed as they
prepared to defend their tiny stronghold, built up for the very
emergency in which they were.

"_Rendez, messieurs_!" shouted the French officer, half appealingly.

"_Non, non_!" shouted Sydney, excitedly.

"_En avant_!" rang out the order, and with a rush the men came on in the
rapidly increasing morning light.

At that moment the rocks echoed and quivered as a heavy gun thundered
forth.

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE.

The advance was checked, and a man ran up to the flagstaff, to reach it
at last, and then he shouted down something in French, which the
occupants of the upper defence could not make out.

A second gun rolled forth its summons, and, giving an order, the French
officer led his men toward the lower battery, where about twenty were
halted, and busied themselves in turning one of the guns, so that it was
pointed toward the upper battery, while the rest went down over the
wall.

"What does it mean?" said Syd. "Are they going to blow us out of here?"

"No," said Roylance, "I think not. It is to occupy the place and keep
us at bay. I'd give something to see what it all means. We're so shut
up here, and can see nothing," he said, fretfully.

And it was so. They had a good view of the sea right out toward the
town, but looking back they could see along the gap to their guns, which
with the breastwork completely hid the landing-place.

"I'd give something to know what it all means."

"That gun meant the recall," said Roylance.

"If I could get to the flagstaff," said Syd.

"I think I could slip over at the back here," said Rogers; "climb along,
and then crawl up."

"No, no, my lad; you'd break your neck."

"Oh, no, sir. You trust me."

"He can climb like a monkey, sir," said another of the men, who was
binding up a wound.

"Then try," said Syd, after a glance upward to see that the French were
not there.

The man slipped over the back directly, and crept along a narrow ledge
that made them all feel giddy, but he got along in safety, and then
creeping and climbing to the left of the regular path he disappeared in
a rift.

"He'll do it now," said Roylance, who stood nursing one arm. "I say,
Belt, as soon as you can I should be glad of a little help."

"Yes, I'll come directly," said Sydney; "but where are our other
fellows?"

"All wounded or prisoners. The French have had the best of it t