e ground and
was preparing to ignite the portfire, Chichester sprang back among the
five men who were awaiting his word, and whispered "Now!" Instantly the
six darted to their respective stations, and each man at once proceeded
rapidly, yet with the nicest care, to ignite the five ends of quick
match which were his especial care. It was swiftly done, the lighting
of the whole occupying less than half a minute; yet before the last five
were ignited the still air was heavily charged with the fumes of
gunpowder and there was a sound of hissing and sizzling suggestive of a
whole army of angry snakes.

"Smartly, men; smartly!" urged Dick; "the matches are burning much more
rapidly than I anticipated; and if we are not pretty lively we shall be
caught by the first explosions. That's your sort; that will do,
Parsons, don't stand there fiddling with that match, it is burning all
right. Now, lads, away you go; over with you; I go last."

Thus exhorted they stood not upon the order of their going, but went,
Chichester bringing up the rear; and the latter was still in the very
act of descending the ladder when six crashing explosions, occurring
almost simultaneously on the parapet above, shattered the early morning
stillness, the sounds being instantly followed by a great rush of wings
and an outburst of startled screams that issued from the throats of the
affrighted birds in the immediate neighbourhood of the castle, who, thus
rudely awakened, dashed away in every direction, loudly proclaiming
their terror. An answering explosion almost instantly roared out from
the battery on the beach; then when half a dozen further explosions on
the parapet pealed out, the little party of precipitately retreating
Englishmen heard heavy thuds all round them as fragments of the burst
ordnance came showering to the ground. And in between the shattering
reports of bursting cannon which were now almost continuous they faintly
caught the sounds of human outcry as the astounded garrison, awakened by
the reports, sprang from their beds and rushed hither and thither in
blind panic, each man demanding of every other an explanation of the
extraordinary happenings that were taking place overhead. But long
before the bravest of the Spaniards had summoned up courage enough to
ascend to the parapet, and ascertain for himself the source of those
terrific reports and crashing blows which were causing the castle to
tremble to its very foundations, the l