“Ay, ay, sir!” came again heartily; but the enemies’ heads did not appear above the edge, and though the loud buzzing and shouting of orders came up, there was no adversary.
It was not the men’s fault, for they were at the bottom of a vast natural wall, which towered up from fifteen to twenty feet, and so smooth that there was not the slightest foothold to enable them to climb.
The officer who had come up to it before with a flag of truce had in his excitement omitted to notice the difficulty, and consequently neither rope nor spar had been brought; and though the men clambered and shouted and made brave efforts to mount upon each other’s shoulders, fortunately for them they were not able to get up far enough to be sent down with a cut on the head.
The shouting and confusion lasted for some time, during which the defenders crouched in safety behind their breastwork, and waited.
At last, just as the officers were deciding upon withdrawing their men, and asking themselves what their fate would be if the English began to play upon them during their retreat to the one boat which was left, there was another cheer, and a reinforcement from the frigate appeared.
Strake sprang up to alter the level of the gun and take aim, but Syd stopped him.
“This one hasn’t come to attack,” he said, as he saw that the boat was only half manned; the captain having seen the misfortunes that had befallen his other boats, and sent this one on to afford his men a means of retreat.
For the attack was hopeless, and the officers gathered their men together, and despatched them in two parties to the little pier, the men moving with the greatest of regularity; and while a few kept up a running fire against the battery, the others embarked.
“Now then, sir, give the word,” whispered Strake, who was hoarse with excitement; “I can send a shot right through that there boat.”
“What for?” said Syd, coldly. “They are retreating, and we don’t want to stop them and make them prisoners.”