n our fire, and before night they had made some fresh attempts
towards a capitulation.

It fell through, however, and our bombardment was renewed the
following day. The castle was so strong, the walls being hewn in many
places out of the solid rock that we were unable to make much
impression, but luckily if their walls were strong, the hearts of the
pirates were too weak to prolong the defence, and it became merely a
question of whether they should surrender to us or to Ramagee Punt.
The Morattoes struggled hard, but Colonel Clive stood at his post like
a wall between them and the fort, and after two days the pirates saw
that they had met their master, and opened the gates to him.

As soon as I knew that Mr. Clive's force would be the first to enter,
I took Mr. Griffiths aside, and explained to him that there was an
Englishwoman, in whom I was interested, inside the fortress, and after
I had related the whole story to him he sent me ashore to the camp to
lay the case before Mr. Clive.

That brave man--who was good enough to express his pleasure at seeing
me safe again--heard me with great attention. As soon as I had told my
story he turned to his secretary.

"Mr. Scrafton, you have heard what this young man says. I desire you
will send at once for Angria's envoy, and tell him that if I find one
hair of this girl's head has been injured I will hang him from his own
walls."

He spoke this in a stern and terrible manner, which imparted some fear
even to me. Within an hour the message came back from the pirates'
chief that the Colonel's orders should be strictly obeyed.

This was while the negotiations for the surrender were still in
progress. By the end of the second day's bombardment all was over, and
Colonel Clive marched into the place at the head of 800 English and
1,000 Indian soldiers, who formed his whole army. I was allowed to
enter at the same time.

We found the pirates drawn up inside to the number of several
thousands. In so vast a crowd I could not distinguish the faces of any
of the _Fair Maid_ men, nor was there a sign to be seen of my cousin
Rupert. Out of a feeling of shame I had concealed from Colonel Clive
that this villain was among the pirates, but I made a strict search
for him presently all through the place, without any result. I could
only conclude that he must have been killed during the siege, unless
he had made his escape in some way not easy to guess.

As soon as we had passed through