culty, for he was a heavy man, succeeded in dragging him
from his dangerous position and placing him on his feet, in which
position he remained for some time speechless and blowing.

"Now, I'll tell ye what it is, boys," said he at length, "if ever you
catch me going on an expedition of this sort again, flay me alive--
that's all--don't spare me. Pull off the cuticle as if it were a glove,
and if I roar don't mind--that's what I say."

Having said this, the veteran warrior smiled a ghastly smile, as if the
idea of being so excruciatingly treated were rather pleasant than
otherwise.

"You're not hurt, I hope," inquired Hugh.

"Hurt! yes, I _am_ hurt--hurt in my feelings--not in my body, thanks to
my good sword and belt; but my feelings are injured. That villain, that
rascal, that pirate--as I verily believe him to be--selected me
specially for this service, I am persuaded, just because he knew me to
be unfit for it. Bah! but I'll pay him off for it. Come, boys,
forward--perhaps, in the circumstances, it would be more appropriate to
say, upward! We must go through with it now for our retreat is cut off.
Lead the way, Hugh, your eyes are younger and sharper than mine, and if
you chance to fall over a cliff, pray give a yell, like a good fellow,
so that I may escape your sad fate."

In the course of half an hour's rough scramble, the party gained the
crest of the Goat's Pass and descended in rear of the native village.
The country over which they had to travel, however, was so broken and so
beset with rugged masses of rock as to retard their progress
considerably, besides causing them to lose their way more than once. It
was thus daybreak before they reached the heights that overlooked the
village, and the shot from the _Avenger_ with the broad side from the
frigate was delivered just as they began to descend the hill.

Ole, therefore, pushed on with enthusiasm to attack the village in rear,
but he had not advanced half a mile when the peculiar, and to him
inexplicable, movements of the two vessels which have been already
described, took place, leaving the honest commander of the land forces
in a state of great perplexity as to what was meant by his naval allies,
and in much doubt as to what he ought to do.

"It seems to me," said he to his chiefs in a hastily summoned council of
war, "that we are all at sixes and sevens. I don't understand what
manoeuvres these naval men are up to and I doubt if they know
th