Up, up, up, following the flickering light of the watchman's lantern, he went. And now the wind became more violent, the higher the ascent, until near the top he was scarcely able to stand.
"Larboard, port your helm, there!" shouted the voice of Jack, and he was seized by that worthy and dragged into a less exposed place. "No man could stand in a gale like this any further up," shouted Jack in his ear. Another step or two, and a sequestered place was reached, where were stationed two pieces of ancient ordnance, and Jack and Ande were speedily loading, and none too soon, for down below, the cutter's lights were seen a short distance from the entrance.
There was a flash and then a roar, and the ball was on its mission.
"Too high. Better luck next time. But I swear that I thought that 'ould 'a' gone amidships. I do think old Nick must a-turned un aside, I do."
"It's had some effect, for they are beating off," answered Ande.
"That's to get a shot at we. They're luffing. But we'll tap them first, I say. 'Ere, let's give 'em another."
Again was the flash and roar from the cliff, and Jack fairly chuckled, as one of the lanterns was snuffed out.
"Took a part of 'er taffrail that time."
But now the cutter was ready for action, and boom went one of her guns, and the next moment a ball struck the cliff below them, splintering the rock into fragments. Then again the cliff guns spoke, answered once more by the cutter's, and soon the action became general. The roar of the cliff guns and the revenue cutter's mingled with the howling blast, and made the night hideous with noise. Though so far above the sea, yet the spray of crashing breakers frequently swept over them as they worked the cliff guns, and it and the occasional flying sleet, at times, so dampened the powder that the guns had to be recharged.