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Updated: June 16, 2025
In a moment he stood erect in the half-fencing attitude of a gunner, and his linstock at the touch-hole: a huge tongue of flame, a volume of smoke, a roar, and the iron thunderbolt was on its way, and the colonel walked haughtily but rapidly back to the trenches; for in all this no bravado. He was there to make a shot; not to throw a chance of life away watching the effect.
A single cannon stood loaded on the battlements; the motionless cannoneer was ready, with smoking linstock, to tell London that all was over.
"I rather think we can," said Fullalove; "eh, Colonel?" and he tapped his long rifle. The ship no sooner crossed the schooner's bows* than a Malay ran forward with a linstock. Pop went the colonel's ready carbine, and the Malay fell over dead, and the linstock flew out of his hand.
Yet Captain Leigh did nothing in a hurry. "Hold there!" he roared to the gunner who swung his linstock at that moment in preparation. She was losing way as a result of that curtailment of her mainmast, and the Spaniard came on swiftly now. At last the skipper accounted her near enough, and gave the word with an oath. The Swallow fired her first and last shot in that encounter.
He was confirmed in this opinion by the tone of the voice, which asked in a low whisper, "whether all was ready?" In some breasts passion lies conceal'd and silent, Like war's swart powder in a castle vault, Until occasion, like the linstock, lights it: Then comes at once the lightning and the thunder, And distant echoes tell that all is rent asunder.
Never was such an instant change, from the most contemptuous serenity, to the most furious state of passion, as that which Sir Piercie Shafton exhibited. It was the difference between a cannon lying quiet in its embrasure, and the same gun when touched by the linstock.
They discharged their arquebuses and muskets at the Spaniards, and threw cane spears hardened in fire, and bacacaes, after their fashion. The Spaniards assaulted the shed, whereupon a Dutch artilleryman trying to fire a large swivel-gun, with which he would have done great damage, being confused did not succeed, and threw down the linstock, turned, and fled.
He saw that her forecastle was crowded with soldiers, and that on that same forecastle she carried a culverin round which were grouped the gun's crew, while behind it stood the gunner with linstock in hand.
Already they could see the faces of the marines who sat in the stern, and the gleam of the lighted linstock which the gunner held in his hand. "Hola!" cried an officer in excellent English. "Lay her to or we fire" "Who are you, and what do you want?" shouted Ephraim Savage, in a voice that might have been heard from the bank.
Linstock in hand the brawny gunner on the poop stood ready to answer them when the word should be given. From below came the gunner's mate to report himself ready for action on the main-deck and to receive his orders. Came another shot from the Spaniard, again across the bows of the Swallow. "'Tis a clear invitation to heave to," said Sir Oliver. The skipper snarled in his fiery beard.
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