razing the skin; yet by a miracle
we escaped unwounded.

One more desperate effort, and we staggered up the loose _debris_ and
into the breach, a clear yard ahead of our rival; and then, shoulder to
shoulder, we stood and tried to recover our breath as best we could,
defending ourselves meanwhile from the innumerable cuts and thrusts
which were aimed at us. The next to arrive was, of course, Major-
General Dundas; then came Mr Flinn, closely followed by the captain of
the "Juno's" main-top; then five or six soldiers; and, thus
strengthened, we pressed forward, foot by foot, the Frenchmen
obstinately contesting every inch of the way, until we had fairly
penetrated to the interior of the redoubt, when--a path being thus
cleared for those who came behind--the relics of the storming-party
surged in and rushed upon the enemy with such resistless impetuosity
that some of the garrison threw down their arms and surrendered; while
the rest broke and fled in direst confusion.

A feeble cheer announced our success, which was immediately answered by
a ringing "three times three--and one cheer more, for the storming-
party," from the occupants of the Cliff Battery away aloft in the cool
night-air.

Poor little Bobby Summers came panting in with the ruck, after all was
over; and the first use he made of his breath, after he had recovered it
sufficiently to speak, was to abuse me in unmeasured terms for what he
was pleased to term my "meanness," in leaving him to struggle up the
hill unaided.

All hands remained on shore that night, to make everything secure, and
to guard against the possibility of an attempt to retake the redoubt;
the storming-party being quickly reinforced by a strong detachment from
the camp, which had been held in readiness to march in as soon as the
redoubt should be carried.

Then came the sickening task of collecting the dead and wounded,
arranging the former for burial, and attending to the wants of the
latter and making them as comfortable as possible under the
circumstances. But I will not go into the details of this accompaniment
to the "pomp and circumstance of war," lest I should unnecessarily
harrow the feelings of my readers; suffice it to say that our task was
not accomplished until long after sun-rise; while that of the naval and
military surgeons of course lasted for weeks.

The fall of the Convention Redoubt left the town of San Fiorenzo at our
mercy, and accordingly, when next day our tro