But they still made a desperate defence, by firing up the hatchway. I
hailed them to surrender.
"Zounds," cried Jigmaree, "there's the clink of hammers they are
knocking off the fetters of the slaves."
"If you let the blacks loose," I sung out in Spanish, "by the Heaven
above us, I will blow you up, although I should go with you! Hold your
hands, Spaniards! Mind what you do, madmen!"
"On with the hatches, men," shouted Tailtackle.
They had been thrown overboard, or put out of the way, they could
nowhere be seen. The firing from below continued.
"Cast loose that carronade there; clap in a canister of grape, so now run
it forward, and fire down the hatchway." It was done, and taking effect
amongst the pent--up slaves, such a yell arose--oh God! oh God!--I never
can forget it. Still the maniacs continued firing up the hatchway.
"Load and fire again." My people were now furious, and fought more like
incarnate fiends broke loose from hell than human beings.
"Run the gun up to the hatchway once more." They ran the carronade so
furiously forward, that the coaming, or ledge, was split off, and down
went the gun, carriage and all, with a crash into the hold. Presently
smoke appeared rising up the fore--hatchway.
"They have set fire to the brig; overboard!--regain the schooner, or we
shall all be blown into the air like peels of onions!" sung out little
Jigmaree.
But where was the Wave? She had broke away, and was now a cable's
length ahead, apparently fast leaving us, with Paul Gelid and Wagtail,
and poor little Reefpoint, who, badly wounded as he was, had left his
hammock, and come on deck in the emergency, making signs of their
inability to cut away the halyards; and the tiller being shot away, the
schooner had become utterly unmanageable.
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