rm fire, rapidly
approached the landing-place.

In front of them was the principal stockade, guarding the landing-place,
a gun on which opened fire. As the boats kept in line it did no damage,
for missing one it missed all. Pulling quickly on, the leading boats of
the flotilla soon reached the landing-place, when the captain, with Jack
and Terence, were the first to leap on shore. Tom and Gerald, with
Needham, came close behind them. The marines, led by their tall
commander, followed, and formed quickly up. The bluejackets and
soldiers immediately afterwards landed, and the captain, with his
companions, again giving forth hearty cheers, rushed towards the
stockade in which the gun was posted. The Nicaraguans, dark, stalwart
fellows, stood their ground bravely, till they saw the cutlasses of the
seamen waving about their heads, and the bayonets of the soldiers
pointed at their breasts, when a well-directed volley of musketry laid
many low, and as the seamen climbed over the stockade, the survivors
abandoning their gun, fled for shelter within the fort. Here, rallied
by their officers, they made another stand, but the English sailors,
rushing forward, were soon climbing over the defences in spite of the
showers of bullets which were flying past them.

The bluejackets and redcoats vied with each other as to who should be
first over, and as they sprang down into the fort, the former began
slashing and hewing away with their cutlasses, while the latter, forming
as they got over, brought their weapons to the charge, and dashed
forward against the main body of the enemy, who stood their ground.

Needham had not forgotten his resolve to haul down the Nicaraguan flag.
Accompanied by the midshipmen and several men, having seen that it was
flying at the further angle of the fort, he made a dash towards it. A
dozen or twenty of the enemy, led by an officer, seeing him coming, and
guessing his object, threw themselves in his way to cut him off. With a
cheer, he and his companions dashed forward to the attack. The enemy
withstood them for a few seconds, but a small party of marines made so
vigorous a charge that they took to flight. Others of the garrison had,
however, rallied in the neighbourhood of the flagstaff.

Still the dauntless seamen dashed on, and so well used their cutlasses
that they forced their way through them, and Dick, with a loud shout,
sprang up to the flagstaff. In another moment he had the halliard