Seventhly, one thousand men in the rear, fifty in a line, double lines.
I consulted with Nasgig how Harlokin's army lay, that I might avoid the revolted towns, rather choosing to take them in my return; for my design was to encounter Harlokin first, and I did not doubt, if I conquered him, but the towns would surrender of course.
When we arrived within a small flight of his army, I caused a halt at a proper place for my cannon, and having pitched them, which I did by several flat stones, one on another to a proper elevation, I loaded them, and also my small-arms, consisting of six muskets and three brace of pistols, and placing my army, two thousand just behind me, two thousand to my right, and the same number to my left, I gave a strict command for none of them to stir forwards without orders, which Nasgig, who stood just behind me, was to give. I then sent a defiance to Harlokin by a gripsack, who sent me word he fought for a kingdom, and would accept it; and, as I heard afterwards, he was glad I did, for since the intelligence I had scattered in his army, they had in great numbers deserted him, and he was afraid it would have proved general. I then putting the end of a match into a pistol-pan with a little powder, by flashing lighted it; and this I put under my chair, for I sat in that, with my muskets three on each side, a pistol in my right hand, and five more in my girdle. In this manner I waited Harlokin's coming, and in about an hour we saw the van of his army, consisting of about five thousand men, who flew in five layers, one over another. I had not loaded my cannon with ball, but small-sized stones, about sixty in each; and seeing the length of their line, I spread my cannons' mouths somewhat wider than their breeches, and then taking my observation by a bright star, for there was a clear dawn all round the horizon, I observed, as I retired to my chair, how that star answered to the elevation of my cannon; and when the foremost ranks, who, not seeing my men stir, were approaching almost over me, to fall on them, and had come to my pitch, I fired two pieces of my ordnance at once, and so mauled them, that there dropped about ninety upon the first discharge, together with their commander; the rest being in flight and so close together, not being able to turn fast enough to fly, being stopped by those behind them, not only hindered those behind from turning about, but clogged up their own passage. Seeing them in such a prodigious cluster, I so successfully fired two more pieces, that I brought down double the number of the first shot; and then giving the word to fall on, my cutlass-guard and the pikemen did prodigious execution. But fearing the main body should advance before we had got in order again, I commanded them to fall back to their former stations, and to let the remainder of the enemy go off.
This did me more good in the event than if I had killed twice as many; for they not only never returned themselves, but flying some to the right, some to the left, and passing by the two wings of their own army, consisting of six thousand men each, they severally reported that they were all that was left of the whole van of the army; and that the prediction would certainly be fulfilled, for that their companions had died by fire and smoke. This report struck such terror into each wing, that every one shifted for himself, and never appeared more.
The main battle, consisting of about ten thousand men, knowing nothing of what had happened to the wings—for Harlokin had ordered the wings to take a great compass round to enclose us—hearing we were but a handful, advanced boldly; and as I had ordered my men not to mount too high, the enemy sunk to their pitch. When they came near, I asked Nasgig who led them; if it was Harlokin. He told me no, his general, but that he was behind; and Nasgig begging me to let him try his skill with the general, I consented, they not being yet come to the pitch of my cannon. Nasgig immediately took the graundee, and advancing singly with one of my cutlasses in his hand, challenged the general in single combat. He, like a man of honour, accepting it, ordered a halt, and to it they went, each emulous of glory, and of taking all the advantage he could, so that they suddenly did not strike or push; but sometimes one, then the other was uppermost, and whirling expeditiously round, met almost breast to breast; when the general, who had not a pike, but a pikestaff headed with a large stone, gave Nasgig such a stroke on his head that he reeled, and sunk considerably, and I began to be in pain for him, the general lowering after him. But Nasgig springing forward beneath him, and rising light as air behind the general, had gained his height again before the general could turn about to discern him, and then plunging forward, and receiving a stroke across his left arm, at the same time he gave the general such a blow near the outside of the shoulder as slit the graundee almost down to his hip, and took away part of the flesh of the left arm, upon which the general fell fluttering down in vast pain very near me; but not before Nasgig, in his fall, descending, had taken another severe cut at him.
