dozen
oxen and all that while there had been no breath of wind and they had
seen no one: when one morning about two bells when the crew were at
breakfast the lookout man reported cavalry on the port side. Shard who
had already surrounded his ship with sharpened stakes ordered all his
men on board, the young trumpeter who prided himself on having picked
up the ways of the land, sounded "Prepare to receive cavalry". Shard
sent a few men below with pikes to the lower port-holes, two more
aloft with muskets, the rest to the guns, he changed the "grape" or
"canister" with which the guns were loaded in case of surprise, for
shot, cleared the decks, drew in ladders, and before the cavalry came
within range everything was ready for them. The oxen were always yoked
in order that Shard could manoeuvre his ship at a moment's notice.

When first sighted the cavalry were trotting but they were coming on
now at a slow canter. Arabs in white robes on good horses. Shard
estimated that there were two or three hundred of them. At sixty yards
Shard opened with one gun, he had had the distance measured, but had
never practised for fear of being heard at the oasis: the shot went
high. The next one fell short and ricochetted over the Arabs' heads.
Shard had the range then and by the time the ten remaining guns of his
broadside were given the same elevation as that of his second gun the
Arabs had come to the spot where the last shot pitched. The broadside
hit the horses, mostly low, and ricochetted on amongst them; one
cannon-ball striking a rock at the horses' feet shattered it and sent
fragments flying amongst the Arabs with the peculiar scream of things
set free by projectiles from their motionless harmless state, and the
cannon-ball went on with them with a great howl, this shot alone
killed three men.

"Very satisfactory," said Shard rubbing his chin. "Load with grape,"
he added sharply.

The broadside did not stop the Arabs nor even reduce their speed but
they crowded in closer together as though for company in their time of
danger, which they should not have done. They were four hundred yards
off now, three hundred and fifty; and then the muskets began, for the
two men in the crow's-nest had thirty loaded muskets besides a few
pistols, the muskets all stood round them leaning against the rail;
they picked them up and fired them one by one. Every shot told, but
still the Arabs came on. They were galloping now. It took some time to
l