ched down also; and almost as the
bow entered the low, narrow passage the oars were unshipped and taken
aboard. So cleverly was the unshipping of the oars managed, and so good
was the steering, that the boat shot into the passage under full speed,
and so came nearly through it before losing head-way. And we who were
nearest to it got our arms in readiness--for we were convinced that in
another minute the barge-master would lay us aboard. But this was not
destined to be, nor were the men in that boat destined ever to do any
more fighting in this world.

All this while Rayburn had stood close by the parapet, bending over it
and intently watching the outside of the water-gate; above which the
heavy metal grating had been hauled up, in the metal grooves that it ran
in, almost to the top of the wall. At the moment that the bow of the
boat showed outside the opening he raised his hand, as though signalling
to Young and Tizoc behind him; and in that same instant we heard the
shrieking of the windlass and the quick clanking of the unwinding
chains, and saw the metal grating rushing down the face of the wall.
With all the force generated by the fall from so great height of so
ponderous a body, the grating came crashing into the boat just
amidships, fairly dividing its heavy timbers and forcing the fragments
of it, together with all the men that it carried, down into the water's
depths. But the barge-master died by a quicker death than drowning. He
still was crouched in the middle of the boat, and the sharp angle of the
lower bar of the grating struck him just on the nape of his neck so
keenly that his head was cut off and seemed of itself to spring forward
and away from him; while the broad flat bar, coming down upon his bowed
shoulders, crushed his body into a mere quivering mass of flesh.

A great yell of delight went up from our boats as this brilliant stroke
so brilliantly was delivered; and an answering cry of triumph--that was
one-third a yell and two-thirds a cheer--came back from Tizoc and the
others on top of the wall. However, they had no time to waste in
shouting over their success, for the remaining boats of the enemy had
come by this time to the pier inside the wall, and it seemed highly
probable that in a minute or two more our three men would be prisoners.
But for all their danger they coolly finished the work that they had in
hand. As they explained to me afterwards, Rayburn stood at the head of
the stair to hol