f the town,
covered by the fire of the ships, which also cleared the gardens of the
enemy. The marines and bluejackets now pushed bravely on, but
encountered a terrific fire from the troops within the forts. Murray
and Adair were side by side, scrambling over walls and leaping ditches,
and cutting through hedges of prickly pears in spite of the showers of
shot which rattled round their heads.

"I say, Alick, poets talk of genial showers; I wonder what they would
call the shower now rattling round us?" cried Adair, as he waved on his
men.

"A leaden shower, I should think," said Alick.

"Not far wrong, my boy, but I'm afraid it will not make us grow,
though," answered Adair. "But I say, the shot do pepper, though."

They did, indeed. Numbers of the marines and sailors were knocked over.

"There's another poor fellow down," cried Adair, stooping down to help
up the man, but his aid was of no avail. A deep groan escaped from his
bosom, his musket fell from his grasp, and he was dead. Adair with a
sigh, for the marine had been his servant, let go his hand and sprang
on. In vain the British and their allies fired away at every loophole
and embrasure where a man's head or firelock was to be seen. The enemy
rattled away as rapidly as ever, and no impression seemed to be made on
the walls, while numbers of the storming-party were falling one after
the other around. Now a poor fellow would spring up into the air shot
through the head, and now would fall down with a groan, and rolling
over, clutch convulsively at the earth; one would utter a sharp shriek
as he fell; others, with the blood streaming from their limbs, would
endeavour to scramble on till they sank with a cry of pain exhausted to
the ground. The midshipmen now began to comprehend more clearly than
they had ever before done the stern realities of warfare. They got
within thirty yards of the walls when they found themselves in front of
a crenelled outwork with a deep ditch before it. In vain the officers
looked for some part of the castle wall which might prove practicable.
Not a spot appeared accessible, and nothing but the ugly-looking muzzles
of the enemy's muskets were visible through the loopholes. Most
unwillingly was the command given to retire, and most unwillingly was it
obeyed.

"I say, Murray, I don't like this--to have to turn my tail on those
red-capped gentry," exclaimed Adair.

"We must obey orders, at all events," observed Murray.