our guard, though we could scarcely
increase the precautions we had already taken. It was very dark, with a
strongish breeze blowing down the river. There had been almost a gale
in the day, with a heavy rain, which would have afforded the enemy a
greater chance of success had we not been on the watch for them. Mr
Gaston, our third lieutenant, Delisle, and I had charge of the three
boats. Our ears were more likely to serve us than our eyes, considering
the thick darkness with which we were surrounded. My boat was the
headmost--that is, farther up the river than the rest. Grampus was with
me. "Hist, sir, didn't you hear the chirp of a block?" said he in a
whisper. "The lubbers should have taken care to use more grease if they
wanted to surprise us." I fancied I had heard the same sound. We
listened breathlessly while the crew lay on their oars. It came from up
the river, directly ahead of us. "Ah! there it is again," said I. For
some time we waited without moving, all hands peering into the darkness.
At length I thought I discerned one spot darker than the surrounding
atmosphere. I gazed at it earnestly. Gradually the spot increased in
density till it resolved itself into the hull of a vessel, with canvas
set, standing directly down towards us. There could be no doubt that
her intention must be to run aboard the Orpheus, and that she must be a
fire-ship. "Give way, my lads," I whispered, steering directly for her
bows. The instant we reached them we threw on board the grapnels we had
prepared for that purpose, and began to tow her away across the stream.
As we did so a fire of musketry was opened on us from her deck, which
wounded one of our men. We had no time to reply to it, nor was it
repeated, the crew of the fire-ship having taken to their boat. The
sound and flash of the fire-arms brought the other boats to our
assistance, and they began to pepper away at the retreating boat as she
was disappearing in the gloom. In less than a minute she was no longer
to be seen. For another instant there was a perfect silence, then
suddenly a bright light shot up from the hold of the fire-ship, flames
burst forth from her ports and from every quarter, and climbed up her
rigging, while fire-balls and all sorts of missiles of destruction
leaped forth in every direction, a bright glare extending far and wide
over the broad stream showing us our own ship on one side, with her
spars and rigging in bold relief, trace