ame evident that unless something decisive were speedily
done, we should be overpowered by sheer force of numbers. The French
were congregated in a compact group amidships, our party being divided
into two, one of which had been led on board aft by the skipper, while
the other had followed Mr Sennitt forward; the French were consequently
between us and the lieutenant's party. It occurred to me that if Mr
Clewline could pour a charge or two of grape into the crowd of
Frenchmen, it might have the effect of freshening their way; and I was
pushing towards the bulwarks intending to slip down on board the
"Scourge" and see what could be done, when I observed for the first time
that she was no longer alongside; and on looking farther I caught a
glimpse of her through one of the open ports, lying about a couple of
cables' lengths distant.

I called Markham's attention to this; at the same time mentioning what I
had thought about the grape.

"A capital notion, young-un!" he replied. "Your infantile intellect is
really developing with marvellous rapidity. Clewline can't be
communicated with, however, where he is; so we must just do the best we
can for ourselves. And look here! here is a six-pounder cast loose and
all ready to our hands; watch the roll of the ship, and we can run it
right inboard--here you, Peters,"--to one of the seamen, "lend a hand
here to run in this gun and slew it round with its muzzle forward. So!
that's just right; now then for a charge; do you see a--? Oh, here's a
cartridge; in with it; ram it well down, Peters; and you, Chester, see
if you can find anything to put in on top of the powder;--marline-
spikes; tenpenny nails; empty bottles; blue pills and black draughts;
the cook's tormentors; or the skipper's best china tea
service--_anything_ will do that is obnoxious to the interior of the
human system--"

"Will this do?" I inquired, fishing out from the scuppers a heavy
object of cylindrical shape, over which I had stumbled two or three
times.

"Bless your dear little innocent heart! yes," answered Markham, "it will
do berry nicey nicey. Why, it's the very thing, greeny; it's
_cannister_; in with it; if this does not wake them up, call me a
Dutchman, that's all. Now we're all ready. You let the skipper know
what we're going to do, Chester; and I'll stand by to fire directly he
gives the word."

It was no very easy matter to secure the skipper's attention and make
him understand what we