of us, when a voice, I knew not whence it came,
shouted, "There they are! Fire!"

In an instant the whole line of the shore burst into flame--rapidly
sounded the cracks of the rifles, and thickly about our heads flew the
bullets. At that moment I thought I saw a canoe dart away down the
river, and I doubted not that our enemies had stationed her there to
watch for us. Thicker and thicker came the leaden shower, several shots
going through the boats' sides, though as yet no one was hit. Still I
had no notion of giving in. "Now, my lads, give way for your lives!" I
exclaimed in a loud whisper. "Many a man has passed through hotter fire
than this unscathed."

I scarcely think I was speaking the truth when I said this. So dark was
it, however, that I did not believe that we could be seen from the
shore, though the flashes of the firearms lighted up the dark woods, the
red-brick mill and its out-houses, and threw a lurid glare over the
whirling current as it hurried by its overhanging banks, while ever and
anon we could clearly distinguish the glancing arms and the figures of
our enemies as they stood drawn up along the banks, pouring their fire
down upon us.

On we pulled, silently as ever, and as fast as the men could lay their
backs to the oars. We were, however, I knew too well, only at the
commencement of the narrow passage, and I could not tell what opposition
we might have to encounter before we got through it. My boat was light,
and pulled easily, but some of the other boats were very slow--the
Thames's long-boat especially--and rowed very heavily, and I kept
anxiously turning round to ascertain that they were following me. For
some time I could count them, one after the other in line, coming up
after me. Then I turned my eyes on the banks of the river. By some
means our enemies calculated our downward progress with great accuracy
if they did not see us, for, while some were blazing away, I could see
other bodies hurrying along the side of the river, to be ready, I
doubted not, to attack us as we came down; some were on foot, but others
were on horseback, who had much the advantage of us in speed. At last I
found that I was getting ahead of the other boats, so I had to slacken
my speed till the next boat came up to me. It was the Charon's cutter,
commanded by Mr Bruton. When I looked back I found that the Thames's
long-boat was nowhere to be seen. Bruton said she had only just dropped
astern, so b