e the _Tartar_ was still moving through the
water, and, dividing into three parties, made respectively for the three
principal batteries.

Dimchurch was not in the boat in which Will had a place, as he rowed
stroke of the first gig and Will was in the launch. Tom was also in
another boat, but was in the same division. No lights were to be seen, and
absolute silence reigned. Noiselessly the men landed and formed up on the
beach. To reach the batteries they had to climb the cliff by a zigzag
pathway, up which they were obliged to go in single file. They arrived at
the summit without apparently creating a suspicion of their presence, and
then advanced at a run. Suddenly three blue lights gleamed out,
illuminating the whole of the ground they had to traverse, and at the same
moment a tremendous volley was fired from the battery. Simultaneously fire
opened from the other batteries, showing that the boats' crews had all
arrived just at the same instant, and that while the French were supposed
to be asleep they were awake and vigilant. Indeed, from the heaviness of
the fire there was little question that the force on the island had been
heavily reinforced from the mainland.

Numbers of the men fell, but nevertheless the sailors rushed forward
fearlessly and reached the foot of the fort. This was too high to be
climbed, so, separating, they ran round to endeavour to effect an entrance
elsewhere. Suddenly they were met by a considerable body of troops. The
first lieutenant, who commanded the division, whistled the order for the
sailors to fall back. This was done at first slowly and in some sort of
order, but the fire kept up on them was so hot that they were compelled to
increase their pace to a run. A stand was made at the top of the pass, as
here the men were only able to retreat in single file. At length the
survivors all reached the beach and took to the boats again under a heavy
fire from the top of the cliffs, which, however, was to some extent kept
down by the guns of the _Tartar_. The other divisions had suffered almost
as severely, and the affair altogether cost the _Tartar_ fifty killed and
over seventy wounded. Will was in the front rank when the French so
suddenly attacked them, and was in the rear when the retreat began.
Suddenly a shot struck him in the leg and he fell. In the confusion this
was not noticed, and he lay there for upwards of an hour, when, the fire
of the _Tartar_ having ceased, the French came out