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The whole of the schooner's guns were fired, one after the other, but the port-fire unfortunately burnt out just about that time, so that we were unable to ascertain what effect had been produced, and before another could be found and lighted we heard and felt the light shocks of collision as the canoes dashed alongside, and in a moment found ourselves engaged in attempting to check the onset of a perfect wall of savages that hemmed us in on every side, and surged, and struggled, and writhed, and panted as they endeavoured to force a way through the stubborn boarding nettings.
The launch has boarded on the starboard gangway, and it is against her that the crew of the privateer have directed their main efforts. The boarding nettings cannot be divided, and the men are thrown back wounded or dead, into the boat. The crew of the pinnace are attempting the bows with indifferent success.
To deceive the enemy, the commander had had some canvas painted black and hung over her sides, triced up a couple of feet or so above the hammock nettings, to give her the appearance of a merchantman, but an observant eye might have detected her by the perfect trim of her sails. This, however, under the present circumstances, could not be avoided.
Just then I caught sight of the boatswain's long nose over the hammock nettings, and the next instant he had slid down a rope overboard, and was striking out towards me. "Shout, boy I shout, my son! and kick away kick away," he kept exclaiming, as with sturdy strokes he clave the water, in his progress making himself all the time as much noise as possible.
But as far as silks and satins went in the matter of French bonnets, muslims, velvets, hats, riding-habits, artificial flowers, head-gilding, curious nettings, enamelled buckles, golden tagged bobbins, and mechanical petticoats as regarded shoes, and gloves, and corsets, and stockings, and linen, and flannel, and calico money, I may conscientiously assert, was no object.
O'Brien perceiving this, pointed out to Mr Phillott that we should first attack the boats, and afterwards board on the side to which they pulled; as, in all probability, there would be an opening left in the boarding nettings, which were tied up to the yard-arms, and presented a formidable obstacle to our success.
"I think they will know that it is a hospital, and be too kind to hurt or frighten their neighbors," began Nelly; but as she spoke, a plump white dove walked in, looked about with its red-ringed eyes, and quietly pecked up a tiny bug that had just ventured out from the crack where it had taken refuge when the deluge came. "Yes, we must have the nettings.
"Inspector Nettings," Hewitt said ceremoniously, "allow me to introduce Mr. César Rameau!" Netting's gasped. "What!" he at length ejaculated. "What! You you're Rameau?" The negro looked round nervously, and shrank farther from the door. "Yes," he said; "but please not so loud please not loud. Zey may be near, and I'm 'fraid."
The alarm of the ladies gradually subsided, till they began to wonder why it should be thought necessary to make such preparations for fighting; why the shot was got up, the powder-tubs filled, and the guns loaded, and boarding nettings made ready for rigging. For some time the stranger did not appear to alter her position.
It was the same strange voice that had quelled the mutiny on the John, that had awed the men of Kirkcudbright. The tackles were seized and the guns run out once more, and fired, and served again in an agony of haste. In the darkness shot shrieked hither and thither about us like demons, striking everywhere, sometimes sending casks of salt water over the nettings.
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