ce, and who could return the fire, did not. They
were rather amused at the character of the women, and not being aware
that their comrades were falling so fast, remained inactive. But there
is a limit to even gallantry, and as the wounded men were carried past
them, their indignation was roused, and, at last, the fire was as warmly
returned, but before that took place, one half of the detachment were
_hors de combat_.

All the assistance which they might have received from the covering
party of sailors on the beach, was neutralised; they did not know how
much the soldiers had suffered, and although they fired in pursuance of
orders, they would not take any aim.

For some time the soldiers were forced on to the eastern side of the
rock, which, as the reader may recollect, was much more precipitous
than the western side, where it was descended from by the ladder. Here
they were at the mercy of the conspirators, who, concealed below the
masses of the rock on the platform, took unerring aim. The captain had
fallen, Lieutenant Dillon was badly wounded and led back to the boats,
and the command had devolved upon a young man who had but just joined
the regiment, and who was ignorant of anything like military tactics,
even if they could have been brought into play upon the service.

"Do you call this fighting with women, Sergeant Tanner?" said one of the
men. "I've seen service, but such a murderous fire I was never in. Why,
we've lost two-thirds of our men."

"And shall lose them all before we find out the mouth of this cursed
cave. The regiment has lost its character for ever, and I don't care how
soon a bullet settles my business."

Ramsay now detached a party of the men to fire at the covering party of
seamen who were standing by the boats in the cove and who were
unprotected, while his men were concealed behind the masses of rocks.
Many fell, wounded or killed; and Vanslyperken, after shifting about
from one position to another, ordered the wounded men to be put into his
boat, and with two hands he pulled off as he said to procure more
ammunition, leaving the remainder of his detachment on shore, to do as
well as they could.

"I thought as how this work would be too warm for him," observed Bill
Spurey.

"Yes," replied Short, who, at the moment received a bullet in his thigh,
and fell down among the rocks.

The fire upon the seamen continued to be effective. Move from their post
they did not, but one after another