,
for the sake of keeping open their retreat, they stepped. From these
however the horses had not been taken out: they were simply backed up
at right angles to the two inner lines, which stood across the road,
the horses' heads looking down the road. Here they posted themselves;
half their faces in one direction, half in the other. "Now then for my
boarders!" said the young leader jocosely, "where are my boarders?" And
instantly an active party, whom he ordered not to advance beyond the
second range of carts, swarmed over the gate: two or three others
meantime slipped round by the hill; and, whilst the 'boarders' engaged
the whole attention of the enemy, applied their cudgels so suddenly and
so vigorously to the horses that they started off at full gallop; and,
to prevent any early relaxation of their speed, the sailors ran along
with them for fifty or sixty yards--belaboring them with exemplary
vigor. The consequence of this sudden movement was--that five lost
their balance and fell overboard: all the rest continued to scud
along the road in the two heavy vessels on board which they had
embarked themselves--repeatedly crossing and nearly running foul of
each other--until at length, just as they approached a turn of the road
which would have carried them out of sight of their enemies, they came
into sudden and violent collision; both carts capsized; and all on
board were shot out to every point of the compass. A roar of laughter
ascended from the sailors: who now proceeded hastily to collect their
trophies, and to clear the road of obstructions. The captured arms were
tossed into a light cart, which was sent on before. Three of the
horses, selected with due regard to their dulness and moral incapacity
for trotting, were harnessed to the waggon; which was given up to those
of the revenue officers who had sustained any hurt in the engagement.
The rest were mustered and directed to go about their business by the
same road which the funeral train had just traversed. By these
arrangements all danger of immediate pursuit was obviated: the turnpike
being eighteen miles in that direction from the nearest town. The
chapel of Utragan, four miles a-head, was fixed as the place at which
all the horses and arms would be left for their owners on the ensuing
night: and then the enemy were finally turned adrift with three cheers
and a glass of French brandy to those who chose to accept it.

"And now, my lads," said the leader, after or