ng, however, could withstand the determined
courage of the English; though, had not the pirates incautiously lost
the post which Zappa had so judiciously formed, they might, perhaps,
have been kept at bay till daylight, and, at all events, must have
suffered a severe loss.

Fleetwood and the other officers encouraged their men to fresh
exertions, and led the way. The pirates could no longer withstand the
onset, and, within five minutes after they had leaped the ramparts, the
British had gained the open space under the fort, and the enemy were
flying in all directions before them, some to conceal themselves among
the ruins, others throwing themselves over the cliffs, to avoid, as they
supposed, another death; and the greater number, still facing round,
retreating by the path down the ravine. A small, but more desperate,
band, under old Vlacco, not active enough to run, and too brave to
yield, had entrenched themselves among the ruins, on the point directly
above the harbour; and while some of them were firing away on the
_Ypsilante_, and thus defending to the last the entrance to their port,
the rest had slewed round some of the smaller guns towards the interior
of the fort, prepared to fire the moment they could distinguish their
enemies from their friends.

Meantime, Charles Fleetwood, eager in pursuit of the great object which
had at first brought him to the island, the rescue of Ada Garden, led on
his men to the tower. He heard the scream of a female,--the gate was
open--he rushed up the steps, followed by the colonel and several
others--he reached the chamber she had inhabited, a light burnt on the
table--it showed the confusion around; a slight form was on one of the
couches--Fleetwood flew to it. Could it be his Ada?

There he beheld a sight to sicken his heart--it was the body of poor
little Mila: a ball had entered her forehead, and, as in too many cases,
the innocent life had been taken. What might be the fate of her he
loved best? His eye fell on Marianna, who was kneeling on the ground in
an agony of terror. She lifted her head with alarm, expecting that some
of the pirates had entered to wreak their vengeance on her; but when she
saw who it was, she gave a shriek of delight, exclaiming--

"Oh! save my mistress, signor captain,--save my poor mistress. They
have carried her away--the traitor, the false man, Signor Paolo--he and
the chief. You will never see her more."

"Where, where! which way, g