gson led, followed closely by Ben, the two midshipmen being
ordered to bring up the rear. Ben having showed his flag, the party
rushed on, and directly afterwards a shower of bullets whistled over the
spot where they had been; but by that time Tom and Archie were a dozen
yards ahead. In less than three minutes they had reached the ditch in
the rear of the fort. Not a Russian helmet was to be seen on that side;
Adair and Higson had to restrain the ardour of their followers, who were
eager to climb over the defences. They waited till the last shot fired
from the ships came crashing into the fort; three or four seconds
passed, and no others came. Adair began to count--"One, two, three,
four, five, six--now, my lads, you may come on!" he exclaimed; and he
and his party, springing forward, began, with the agility of cats, to
climb over the defences.

Not a Russian soldier could be seen except those who were labouring at
the guns, the rest of the garrison having wisely betaken themselves to
their bomb-proof chambers. In consequence of the hot fire kept up by
the ships, they had not expected that the party they had seen landing
were about to attack them, and Terence and his men had actually jumped
down into the fort before the garrison had mustered in sufficient force
to resist them. They were, of course, quickly seen; the bugle sounded,
and the troops rushed out of their bomb-proof chambers. A considerable
body, headed by their commandant, at length drew up across the fort for
the purpose of impeding the progress of their daring assailants.

"On, lads, on!" cried Adair, seeing that their best chance of victory
was to attack the garrison before they had time to form into a compact
body. They had indeed been completely taken by surprise, many having
hurried out without bayonets fixed, others with unloaded muskets, some
only with pikes or swords in their hands. Ben Snatchblock had brought
an English ensign under his arm; keeping his eye on the flagstaff, he
directed his course, with a few companions, towards it. As Adair and
Higson led on the main body, the garrison gave way, some hurrying off to
conceal themselves in the chambers from which they had just before
emerged, while others made for a gate in the rear of the fort leading to
the drawbridge, which was, however, up. Before they could lower it,
Adair, with most of his men, was upon them, when, with a loud voice, he
ordered them not to touch the chains unless th