fore
intended. The men expressed their readiness to incur every possible
risk to effect that purpose. The almost unarmed condition of the ship
at the time must be remembered. The men set zealously to work to
prepare for the enterprise. Springs were got on our cables. All was
ready. The flood had made. The object was to cast in-shore. The men
were at their stations. We were heaving on the spring--it broke at the
most critical moment, and we cast outward. There was no help for it.
Nothing could prevent us from running right in among the two ships of
the mutinous fleet which I have mentioned, and which lay with their guns
double shotted, and the men at quarters, with the lanyards in their
hands, ready to fire at us. Our destruction seemed certain; but not for
a moment did our captain lose his presence of mind. Calm as ever, he
ordered the quartermaster Aynsley to appear on deck as if in command,
while the officers concealed themselves in different parts of the ship,
he standing where he could issue his orders and watch what was taking
place. All was sheeted home in a moment, and we stood in between the
two line-of-battle ships, the _Director_ and _Inflexible_. The ship, by
this time, had got good way on her. It appeared that we were about to
take up the berth into which we had been ordered, when Sir Harry
directed that all the sheets should suddenly be let fly. This took the
mutineers so completely by surprise, that not a gun was then fired at
us. Sir Harry next ordered the helm to be put "hard-a-port," which
caused the ship to shoot ahead of the _Inflexible_--we were once more
outside our enemies. Springing immediately on deck, he took the
command, crying out, in his encouraging tone, "Well done, my lads--well
done!"

A loud murmur of applause and satisfaction was heard fore and aft; but
we had no time for a cheer.

"Now clear away the bulkheads, and mount the guns," he added.

Every man flew with a hearty will to obey his orders. And need there
was; for scarcely were the words out of his mouth than the whole fleet
of thirty-two sail opened their fire on us. The shot flew like hail
around us, and thick as hail, ploughing up the water as they leaped
along it, chasing each other across the surface on every side of the
ship. We could have expected nothing else than to be sunk instantly,
had we had time for consideration; but, as it was, wonderfully few
struck our hull, while not a shroud was cut away,