“I’ve given her an extra charge of powder, sir,” he said. “I’d ha’ give her a double dose, on’y it would be a pity to burst her. Like to run your eye along before she’s fired, sir?”
“No; you try this time, Ben.”
As Roy spoke, there was a tremendous crash, followed by the report of the enemy’s gun; and the rattling down of the splintered stone told how heavy the impact of the shot had been.
“More damage,” growled Ben. “They’re a-shooting ever so much better than us, corporal.”
The next minute he applied the port-fire, and the gun sprang back, as a tremendous report followed.
“Made her kick quite savage, sir,” said Ben, with a chuckle. “She says it’s more powder than she likes.”
He stepped to the embrasure as the smoke slowly rose, and gazed out at the enemy’s battery.
“Come and look, Master Roy,” he said, with a grim smile.—“I say, corporal, that’s one to me.”
The men raised a tremendous cheer, for plainly enough seen in the dim evening light, the interior of the battery was in confusion; and as the smoke quite cleared away, they saw that one of the guns was lying several feet back behind the shattered carriage, and at right angles to its former position.
“Give ’em yours now, my lad,” growled Ben; and the corporal fired; but his shot went right over the battery and struck up the earth twenty yards behind.