I hailed Obed twice to surrender, while our people, staggered by the
extreme hardihood of the small group, hung back for an instant; but he
either did not hear me, or would not, for the only reply he seemed
inclined to make was by slewing round the gun so as to bring me on with
it, and the next moment a general rush was made, when the whole party
was cut down, with three exceptions, one of whom was Obed himself, who
getting on the gun, made a desperate bound over the men's heads, and
jumped overboard. He struck out gallantly, the shot pattering round him
like the first of a thunder shower, but he dived apparently unhurt, and
I lost sight of him.
The other vessels having also been carried, the firing was all on our
side by this time, and I, along with the other officers, was exerting
myself to stop the butchery.
"Cease firing, men; for shame, you see they no longer resist." And my
voice was obeyed by all except the fifteen we had released, who were
absolutely mad with fury--perfect fiends; such uncontrollable fierceness
I had never witnessed, indeed, I had nearly cut one of them down before
I could make them knock off firing.
"Don't fire, sir," cried I to one.
"Ay, ay, sir; but that scoundrel made me wash his shirts," and he let
drive at a poor devil, who was squattering and swimming away towards the
shore, and shot him through the head.
"By heavens! I will run you through, if you fire at that man!" shouted
I to another, a marine, who was taking aim at no less a personage than
friend Obed, who had risen to breathe, and was swimming after the
others, but the very last man of all.
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