ere beginning to breathe we were dismayed at suddenly
receiving a bullet from one of the guns of the fort, which ploughed
right into the deck within two feet of where I stood. I looked up
astonished, and beheld my cousin Rupert, with the match still in his
hand, looking over to watch the effect of his shot. The other men on
board caught sight of him at the same moment, and a howl went up at
this act of cold-blooded treachery. One of the fellows snatched up a
loaded musket which lay on the deck, and discharged it at him, and I
had the satisfaction to see him fall back swiftly, but whether
actually struck by the bullet or no I could not tell.

Distracted by this unlooked-for attack, we had not noticed a fresh
danger from the fleet. But now we perceived that the launch of the
Admiral's own ship, the _Talisman_, had been manned, and was bearing
right down on us, the men on board coming with great coolness and
daring right past the guns of the fort. In this they were fortunately
protected by the fact that the gunners were all engaged in replying to
the fire of the fleet, which lay anchored above, and we being now past
the direct line of fire, and out on the middle of the river, the
garrison paid no attention to us. However, the launch would have had
no chance of overtaking us but for the unlucky accident to the tiller,
which had made the _Fair Maid_ unmanageable for the moment, and caused
her to come up to the wind. They were thus able to draw very near us
before the man at the helm had contrived to rig up a makeshift tiller
out of a splinter off the gunwale. Just as he began to get the ship's
head round again the launch approached within hailing distance, and
bade us surrender.

Old Muzzy strictly forbidding any reply, they fired a bullet at us
from a small swivel gun in the bows. Thereupon one of the crew--the
same man who had fired at Rupert--wanted to discharge the _Fair
Maid's_ stern gun at them; but this the boatswain would not permit.

"If we're caught running away, they may let us off," he said
prudently; "but if we're caught after firing on the king's uniform,
it's hanging for every mother's son of us."

The men saw the wisdom of this, and now the sails began to draw
again, and give a fair chance of leaving the launch behind. No sooner
did this happen, than I experienced a keen feeling of regret. I had
aided heartily in our escape so far, believing it to be the only thing
I could do, but now I thought I saw a ch