I had gone many yards, for the
painful sensation in my side checked me, and I was glad to hold my hand
pressed upon the place, and wait till he came up.

"Oh, I am glad!" he cried, catching my hand. "I thought--no, I won't
say what I thought."

"But you are hurt," I said. "Is it your leg?"

"Yes, I feel just as if I was a gull, Sep, and someone had shot me."

"And you are shot?"

"Yes, but only in the leg. Is the captain up there?"

"Yes," I said, "and three or four of the men. I say, Big, what a
terrible night!"

"Yes," he replied, in a curious tone of voice; "but, I'm glad it's the
French, and that no one else has done it."

My father had come down to where we were seated, and made us follow him
to the shelter of the rocks.

"They may catch sight of you, my lads," he said, "and turn you into
marks."

"Are you going to stop them now, captain?" said Bigley, following.
"What are you going to do?"

"I'm ready to do anything, my lad," said my father sadly; "but what can
half a dozen injured men, whose wounds are getting stiff, do against
half a hundred sound?"

Bigley sighed.

"Couldn't we sit up here in the rocks and pick them all off with the
carbines, sir?" he said suddenly.

"Yes, my lad, perhaps we could shoot down a few if we had the carbines,
which we have not. No: we can do nothing but sit down and wait till we
get well, comforting ourselves with the thought that we have done our
best."

We were watching the French sailors now, not a man showing the slightest
inclination to retreat farther, but standing like beaten dogs growling
and ready to rush at their assailants if they could get the chance.
Swords had been sheathed, but only while pistols were recharged; and
then, as soon as these weapons were placed ready in belts, the cutlasses
were drawn again; and just as they had obeyed the order to retreat, the
men would have followed my father back, wounded as they were, to another
attack.

Down below the Frenchmen were as busy as bees. We could hear the
crackle and snap of wood as they seemed to be tearing it out of the
counting-house; and then it was evident what they had been doing, for a
torch danced here and there, and stopped in one place and seemed to
double in size, to quadruple, and at last there was a leaping flame
running up and a pile of wood began to blaze.

"There go years of labour!" said my father, speaking unconsciously so
that the men could hear. "One night to ruin every