and the fact that they were
to fight with nothing but women, that the soldiers had vowed that they
would not fire a shot, and that Moggy Salisbury, who was with them,
swore that she would hoist up her smock as a flag, and fight to the
last. This was soon known on board of the Yungfrau, and gave great
disgust to every one of the crew, who declared, to a man, that they
would not act against petticoats, much less fire a shot at Moggy
Salisbury.

What a mountain of mischief can be heaped up by the insidious tongue of
one woman!

After this explanation, it may be supposed that the zeal of the party
dispatched was not very great. The fact is, they were all sulky, from
the major downwards, among the military, and from Vanslyperken
downwards, among the naval portion of the detachment. Nancy Corbett,
satisfied with having effected her object, had crossed over the night
before, and joined her companions in the cave; and what was extremely
fortunate, on the same night Sir Robert Barclay came over in the lugger,
and finding how matters stood, immediately hoisted both the boats up on
the rocks, and taking up all the men, prepared with his followers for a
vigorous resistance, naturally to be expected from those whose lives
depended upon the issue of the conflict.

Next morning the cutter was seen coming down with the boats in tow,
hardly stemming the flood, from the lightness of the breeze, when Nancy
Corbett requested to speak with Sir Robert Barclay. She stated to him
what she had done, and the dissatisfaction among the troops and seamen
in consequence, and submitted to him the propriety of all the smugglers
being dressed as women, as it would operate more in their favour than if
they had fifty more men to defend the cave. Sir Robert perceived the
good sense of this suggestion, and consulted with Ramsay, who strongly
urged the suggestion being acted upon. The men were summoned, and the
affair explained to them, and the consequence was, that there was a
scene of mirth and laughter, which ended with every man being fitted
with woman's attire. The only one who remained in the dress of a man
was a woman, Wilhelmina Krause, but she was to remain in the cave with
the other women, and take no part in the coming fray.

CHAPTER FIFTY.

IN WHICH THE OFFICERS, NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, AND RANK AND FILE, ARE
ALL SENT TO THE RIGHT ABOUT.

About noon, the Yungfrau hove-to off the cave, and the troops were
told-off into the