“That’s well. Keep more back, my boy. Now, lads, cutlasses; here they come!”
There was a yell and a rush, the clashing of steel, with shouts and groans, and the Frenchmen were beaten back again.
“Time for breathing, my lads,” cried my father, as we stood there in the darkness with the light full upon our enemies as they gathered at a short distance from the shattered doorway. “Who’s hurt?”
“No one much, captain,” growled the foreman. “A few chops and scratches. Here they are!”
For just then there was a yell, and the enemy rushed at us, coming in a little column, and this time led by an officer.
They could only come in two at a time; but, as they darkened the doorway and made their rush, they spread out as they entered like a fan right and left, and once more the groans, yells, and blows rang out.
It was clearer now, for the smoke and dust had floated out, and I could see something of the desperate fight that was going on, with men falling, and others of the Frenchmen from behind filling their places, for they kept on thronging in through the open doorway, till the counting-house was densely packed, and those behind literally drove their companions forward, till the rough breast-work was beaten and trampled down, and our little party forced back towards the wall that separated us from the inner room, in which there was a doorway leading into a back place, opening on to the cliff slope.
I can’t pretend to describe what took place accurately. All I know is, that in the midst of a scene of shouting, yelling, and clashing cutlasses, I found myself crushed against the back wall with my sword above my head, and my ribs seeming to give way, as I was pinned there helplessly, till all at once there was a tremendous crash, and we were all driven backwards in a heap, friends and enemies together.
For the wood-work partition, already damaged by the force of the explosion, had given way, and we were precipitated into the back room.
What followed I hardly know, for as the men struggled up from the ruin the fight began again, and the result was that I found myself with my father and five men in the little back place of all, where the door opened out into the valley; but of course it was locked and barricaded inside, and the door into the back room was held by my father, the foreman, and two others, who were keeping about a dozen Frenchmen at bay, yelling and cutting and thrusting at them.