as a gentle land-breeze blowing, which would be
all in our favour if once we could get to the vessel. Suddenly the
shrill blast of a trumpet was heard. Peter gave one glance through the
loophole, and said he saw torches flaming in the upper part of the
village; and presently loud shouts and cries burst forth from the same
direction. We slid down the ladder as fast as one could follow the
other, Mr Gale leading. If a guard had been there, he had run off at
the first sound of the trumpet. We hurried on in the direction we had
been desired to take. We had not gone far when we were met by the
stranger. "No time to lose; on, my lads!" he exclaimed, leading the
way. Before us torches were waving, and there were the flashes of
fire-arms. Their reports were heard, as was the clash of steel. We
advanced together rapidly. Suddenly flames burst out of one of the
large stores. The building itself and its contents, probably being of
inflammable materials, blazed up fiercely, and its light fell on the
figures of a number of men fighting desperately. One person was
conspicuous above those of all the others. It was that of our own
captain. As we saw him we raised a cheer, which must have reached his
ears. He answered it with a shout such as few but he could give. Again
we cheered, and dashed on with redoubled speed. We were but just in
time to help him. He stood with his back against a wall, almost
surrounded with enemies, bestriding the body of Captain Ralph; while his
right hand wielded a huge sword, such as few but he could use to
advantage. "On, my lads! Charge the villains!" he shouted. We needed
not the command, but rushed against the mass of Spaniards, mulattoes,
and blacks, who were besetting him, with such hearty good-will, and our
attack being, at the same time, so unexpected, that we drove them back,
helter-skelter, some hundred yards, killing and wounding a number of
them in the way. We should have gone further, but we were recalled by
the captain's voice. We found him lifting Captain Ralph's body in his
arms. "To the boats! to the boats!" shouted some of the Englishmen,
each of whom bore, I perceived, a considerable bundle on his shoulders.
We, supporting our captain, followed the way they led. Five or six
boats, with their oars and sails in them, were in the water at a rough
wooden quay. We jumped into them, and shoved off.

Several English had been killed, and some had been wounded, whom their