Part 55 (1/2)

”Soldiers of the king,” Bob answered, in Spanish, ”with reinforcements for you.”

”Halt till I call an officer,” the sentry said.

But the lieutenant gave the word, and the whole party dashed forward at a run. The sentry hesitated in surprise, for a moment, and then discharged his piece. The sailors gave a cheer, and rushed at the huts. Taken utterly by surprise, the Spaniards at first offered no resistance, whatever, as the sailors rushed in. Indeed, few of them attempted to get out of bed. The blue lights, with which one man in each party was provided, were lighted as they entered; and the arms were collected without a moment's delay, and they were off again before the Spaniards were fairly awake to what had happened.

There were ten huts, each containing twenty men. Two or three shots were fired, as they entered the last two huts; but the Spaniards were overpowered in an instant, as they were here vastly outnumbered. The officers were made prisoners and, ten men being placed over them, the rest of the force, now carrying three muskets each, ran down into the battery. The sentries here threw down their arms, at once, and were allowed to go where they pleased.

”Pile the arms you have captured!” Lieutenant Lyons ordered. ”Run the ramrods down them, and see if they are loaded. The Spaniards are not likely to rally but, if they do, we can give them a hot reception.

”Now, gunner, break open the magazine, there, and load with grape.”

By this time the drum was beating to arms, in the vessel below--the shots fired having given the alarm--and lights were seen to flash along the deck. In two minutes the guns were loaded; and these opened with a fire of grape upon the deck of the vessel, which was near enough to be distinctly seen, by the glare of the blue lights.

As the first gun was fired, an answering flash came from sea, as the frigate also opened fire. For five minutes the guns were worked fast, then two lights burst out in close succession, ahead and astern of the barque.

”Cease firing grape. Load with round shot!” the lieutenant shouted but, a moment later, a loud cheer broke from the sailors as, by the lights in the boats, the Spanish ensign was seen to run up to the peak of the barque, and then at once to fall again to the deck. The barque had surrendered.

”Now, gunner, spike the guns,” the lieutenant ordered, ”and then tumble them off the carriages.”

This was soon done.

”Now let each man take one of the muskets, and throw the rest of them over the parapet down the rocks.

”That is right. Now, fall in!”

The sailors fell in, and marched back to the huts. The Spanish officers were placed in the midst, and twenty men were told off to fire the huts. This was soon done. The lieutenant waited until they were well alight, and then gave the order to march. They took the coast road, this time, for two miles; and then struck off to the sh.o.r.e and saw, a few hundred yards away, the lantern that had been hoisted on one of the boats, as a signal.

They were challenged by the boat keeper, who had moored the boats twenty yards from the sh.o.r.e. A cheer broke out, as the answer was given. The grapnels were pulled up, and the boats were soon alongside. The party, embarking, rowed out in the direction where they knew the frigate to be and, as soon as they were fairly out from the sh.o.r.e, they saw the three lights she had hoisted as a signal. In half an hour they were alongside.

”I need not ask if you have succeeded, Mr. Lyons,” the captain said, as the boats came up, ”for we have seen that. You have not had many casualties, I hope?”

”Only one, sir. One of the marines has a ball in his shoulder.

There were only five or six shots fired, in all, and no one else has as much as a scratch.”

”I am truly glad to hear it,” the captain said. ”It has been a most successful surprise. I don't think the boats can have suffered, either.”

”I don't think there was a shot fired at them, sir,” the lieutenant said. ”The Spaniard ran up his colours and dropped them again, directly the boats showed their lights. I fancy they must have suffered very heavily from our fire. You see, they were almost under our guns, and we must have pretty well torn up their decks.”

”We shall soon hear,” the captain said. ”The boats are towing the Spaniard out. She will be alongside in a few minutes.”

The wind had entirely dropped now and, in a short time, the Spaniard was brought close alongside the frigate, and Mr. Rawdon came on board to report.

”The s.h.i.+p is the San Joaquin, mounting twenty-four guns, with a crew of two hundred and twenty men, sir. Her casualties are very heavy. The men had just poured up on deck, it seems, when the battery opened fire. The captain, first lieutenant, and fifty-six men are killed, and there are forty-three wounded. We have no casualties. Their flag came down, just as we got alongside.”

”Then, as far as we are concerned,” the captain said, ”this is one of the most bloodless victories on record. There will be no death promotions this time, gentlemen, but I am sure you won't mind that.

It has been a most admirably managed affair, altogether; and I am sure that it will be appreciated by my lords of the admiralty.

”You will take command of her at present, Mr. Lyons, with the crew now on board. Dr. Colfax and his a.s.sistant will go off with you, to attend to the wounded, and will remain on board until we get into Gibraltar.

”Mr. Rawdon, you will be acting first, and I can only say that I hope you will be confirmed.”