ce flashes of flame burst
simultaneously from the side of the largest of the four craft,
accompanied by the sharp, ringing roar of brass nine-pounder guns, and
instantly a perfect storm of grape tore and whistled about our ears,
splintering the planking of the boats and bowling over our people right
and left. Three more of my men went down before that discharge, and the
cries of anguish from the other boats told that they too had suffered
nearly or quite as severely. The gig fared worst of all, however, for
an entire charge, apparently, plumped right into her bows, where the men
were clustered pretty thickly, helping two of their comrades who were
kneeling upon the boom endeavouring to tear asunder its fastenings, and
no less than six of her crew fell before that withering discharge,
including the two men upon the boom, who both fell into the water, and
were never seen again.

"By Jove! this will never do," cried the captain. "Out oars, men, and
pull alongside the pinnace!"

This was done; and as the two boats touched, our gallant leader sprang
on board the larger of the two, crying to the second lieutenant--

"Here, Mr Ryan, I will change places with you. Take the gig, if you
please, and see if you can cast the boom adrift at its shore end; I will
look after matters here meanwhile. Mr Gowland, go you to the other end
of the boom, and see what you can do there. Now then, lads, what is the
best news there with that gun?"

"Just ready, sir," came the answer. "Poor Jim Baker was struck, and
fell athwart the breech, wettin' the primin' with his blood just as we
was about to fire, so we've had to renew it; but we're ready now, sir."

"Very well," cried the skipper. "Bear the boat off from the boom, and
fire at the chain-coupling; that ought to do the business for us."

The order was promptly obeyed, and a few seconds later the gun spoke
out, the shot hitting fair and square, and dividing the two parts of the
chain that formed the coupling between two contiguous tree-trunks. A
loud hurrah proclaimed this result, yet when the pinnace pulled up to
the boom again, and tried to force her way through, it was found that
the logs could not be forced apart; evidently they were still united
under water.

"Load the gun again, lads, as smartly as you can," exclaimed the
skipper; "and then we must try to roll the logs over, and get the chains
above water. Well, what news, Mr Gowland?" as the first cutter was
seen approa