Brown had seen them also, and, excited at finding himself at liberty, rushed forward with his musket at the charge, without waiting for his companions.
They, however, coming out from behind the buildings, were following in the rear.
On seeing them approach, a French officer, stepping forward, shouted out that they surrendered. Brown, not understanding his object, still charged on, and whisking his sword out of his hand, would have run him through had he not slipped and fallen, while the rest of the party, supposing he had been killed, retreated out of the way of the bold seaman.
“Get up, old fellow, and defend yourself,” cried Brown. “I’m not the chap to strike a man when he’s down;” and as he spoke he picked up the officer’s sword, and, helping him to his feet, presented it to him. All this was done so rapidly that Rayner and his companions arrived only just in time to prevent Brown, who had stepped back a few paces, from making a lunge with his bayonet at the astonished Frenchman, who, now seeing an officer, though he did not recognise Rayner, again cried out that he surrendered, and skipping out of Brown’s way offered his sword.
The rest of the garrison, seeing the storming party, who had now swept round, coming towards them, threw down their arms, and cried for quarter, while the officers, amongst whom were Captain Dupuis and Sergeant Gabot, presented their swords to Rayner and Oliver. They, turning round, had the satisfaction of greeting Lieutenant Horrocks and other officers of the Lily and Ariel.
“Glad to see you, Rayner and Crofton. We all thought you were dead. No time to ask how you escaped. We’ve got to take those two other forts. If you like you can come with us. Crofton, you can take charge of the prisoners. I’ll leave Sergeant Maloney and a dozen men with you. The rest follow me.”
Saying this, the first lieutenant of the Lily led his men on to the attack of the other fort still engaged with the Ariel, Rushing on, they were up to the rear of it before the garrison were aware of the capture of the larger fort. By a sudden dash it was taken as the former had been, the British not losing a single man, though several of its defenders, attempting to stand their ground, were cut down. A rocket let off the moment they were in was the signal to the Ariel to cease firing.
The third fort higher up, towards which she had hitherto only occasionally fired a gun, now engaged her entire attention.
The increasing light showed the garrison the British flags flying above the ramparts of the two other forts, yet they showed no signs of giving in. Though the guns were well placed for defence on the west side, the rear offered a weak point.
Without halting, Lieutenant Horrocks led his men towards it.