The Irish standard., 1897-11-27

Nothing followed TOR time, but the
remark had set us all on tho alert,
straining ears and eyea-the musket-
GERS with their pieces balanced in their
hands, the captain out In the middle Of
the blook-house, with his mouth very
tight and frown on his face.
So some seconds passed, till sudden
~ Joyce whipped up his musket and
fred. The report had scarcely died
away ere it was repeated and repeated
from without in scattering volley,
shot behind shot, like a string Of geese,
from every side of the inclosure. Sew
eral bullets struck the log house, but
not one entered; and, as the smoke
cleared away and vanished, the stock
ade and the woods around it looked
as quiet and empty us before. Not
Dough waved, not the CLEAN of a mus
ket barrel betrayed the presence of our
foes.
Ibid you hit your MANI" asked the
captain.
mo, sir" replied Joyce. II believe
not, SIR"
'Next best thing to tell the TRUTH"
muttered Capt. Smollctt. Load his
gun. Hawkins. How many should you
say there were on your side, doctor?"
II know precisely" said DR.. Livesey.
Three shots were fired on this side.
I saw the three lashes-two close to-
gethcr-one further to the west"
'Three!" repeated the captain. "And
how many on yours, Mr.. Trclawney?"
But this was not SO easily answered.
There had come many from the north
seven, by the squirrels computations;
eight or nine, according to Gray. From
the east and west only single shot
had been fired. It was plain, therefore,
that the attack would be developed
from the north, and that on the other
three sides we were only to be an
Capt. Smollett made no change in his
arrangements. If the mutineers sue
ceeded in crossing the stockade, he ar
gued, they would take possession of
any unprotected loop hole and shoot us
down like rats in our stronghold.
Nor had we much time left to us for
thought. Suddenly, with q loud huzza,
little cloud of pirates leaped from the
woods on the month side and ran
straight on the stockade. At the same
moment the fire was once more opened
from the woods, and rife ball sung
through the doorway and knocked the
doctors musket into bits.
The boarders swarmed over the fence
like monkeys. Squire and Gray fred
again and yet again; three men fell.
one forward into the Enclosure, two
back on the outsisle. But Of these, one
was evidently more frightened than
hurt, for he was on his feet again in
crack, and Instantly disappeared
among the trees
Two had bit the dust, one had fled,
four had made good their footing in
side our defenses; while from the shell
ter of the woods seven or eight men,
each evidently supplied with several
n,rskets, kept up q hot though useless
fire on the log house.
The four who had boarded made
straight before them for the building,
shouting as they ron, and the men
among the trees shouted back to en-
courage them. Several shots were
fired, but such was the hurry Of the
marksnen that not one appeared to
have taken effect. In a moment the
four pirates had swarmed up the
mound and were upon us.
The head of Job Anderson, the boat
swain, appeared at the middle loop
hole.
"At email hands!" he rbared, in
a voice Of thunder.
At the same moment another pirate
grasped Hunters musket by the muz-
zle, wrenched it from his hands,
plucked it through the loophole, and,
with one stunning blow, laid the poor
fellow senseless on the floor. Mean
while third, running unframed oil
round the house, appeared suddenly in
the doorway, and fell with his cutlass
on the doctor.
Our position was utterly reversed.
A moment since we were firing, under
cover, Mt an exposed enemy, now 1t
was we who lay uncovered, and could
not return q blow.
The log house was full of smoke, to
which we owed our comparative safety.