Chapter L
In which the officers, non-commissioned officers, and rank and file, areall sent to the right about.
About noon the _Yungfrau_ hove-to off the cave, and the troops were toldoff into the boats.
About half-past twelve the troops were in the boats all ready.
About one Mr Vanslyperken had hoisted out his own boats, and they weremanned. Mr Vanslyperken, with his pistols in his belt, and his sworddrawn, told Major Lincoln that he was all ready. Major Lincoln, with hisspy-glass in his hand, stepped into the boat with Mr Vanslyperken, andthe whole detachment pulled for the shore, and landed in the small cove,where they found the smugglers' boats hoisted up on the rocks, at whichthe men appeared to be rejoiced, as they took it for granted that theywould find some men to fight with instead of women. The major headed hismen, and they commenced a scramble up the rocks and arrived at the footof the high rock which formed the platform above at the mouth of thecave, when the major cried "Halt!"--a very judicious order, consideringthat it was impossible to go any further. The soldiers looked abouteverywhere, but could find no cave, and after an hour's strict search,Major Lincoln and his officers, glad to be rid of the affair, held aconsultation, and it was agreed that the troops should be re-embarked.The men were marched down again very hot from their exertions, and thusthe expedition would have ended without bloodshed, had it not been forthe incautious behaviour of a woman. That woman was Moggy Salisbury,who, having observed that the troops were re-embarking, took theopportunity, while Sir Robert and all the men were keeping close, tohoist up a certain under-garment to a pole, as if in derision, thusbetraying the locality of the cave, and running the risk of sacrificingthe whole party in it. This, as it was going up, caught the eye of oneof the seamen in the boat, who cried out, "There goes the ensign up tothe peak at last."
"Where?" exclaimed the major, pulling out his telescope, "Yes, byheavens! there it is--and there then must be the cave."
Neither Sir Robert nor any of the conspirators were aware of thismanoeuvre of Moggy's; for Smallbones, perceiving what she had done,hauled it down again in a minute afterwards. But it had been hoisted,and the major considered it his duty to return, so once more the troopascended the precipitous path.
Moggy then went into the cave. "They have found us out, sir," said she,"they point to us, and are coming up again. I will stand as sentry. Themen won't fire at me, and if they do I don't care."
Sir Robert and Ramsay were in close consultation. It appeared to themthat by a bold manoeuvre they would be able to get out of their scrape.The wind had gone down altogether, the sea was as smooth as glass, andthere was every appearance of a continued calm.
"If we could manage it--and I think we may--then the sooner the affairis brought to an issue the better."
Moggy had now taken a musket on her shoulder, and was pacing up anddown the edge of the flat in imitation of a sentry. She was soon pointedout, and a titter ran through the whole line: at last, as the majorapproached, she called out,
"I say, soger, what are you doing here? keep off, or I'll put a bulletin your jacket."
"My good woman," replied the major, while his men laughed, "we do notwant to hurt you, but you must surrender."
"Surrender!" cried Moggy, "who talks of surrender?--hoist the coloursthere."
Up went the chemise to the end of the pole, and Smallbones grinned as hehoisted it.
"My good woman, we must obey our orders."
"And I must obey mine," retorted Moggy. "Turn out the guard there."
All the women now made their appearance, as had been arranged, withmuskets on their shoulders, headed by little Lilly, with herdrawn sword.
The sight of the child commanding the detachment was hailed with loudcheers and laughter.
"That will do, that will do," cried Sir Robert, fearful for Lilly, "letthem come in again."
"They'll not fire first at all events," cried Moggy, "never fear, sir.Guard, turn in," continued she; upon which, Lilly and her squadron thendisappeared.
"Upon my honour this is too ridiculous," said Lieutenant Dillon.
"Upon my soul I don't know what is to be done," rejoined the major.
"Moggy, we must commence hostilities somehow or another," cried SirRobert from within. Smallbones here came out with his musket to releaseMoggy, and Moggy retired into the cave.
The major, who imagined that there must be a path to the cave on theother side, now advanced with the determination of finding it out, andsomehow or another putting an end to this unusual warfare.
"If you please you'll keep back, or I'll fire," cried Smallbones,levelling his musket.
The major went on, heedless of the threat. Smallbones discharged hispiece, and the major fell.
"Confound that she-devil!--Are you hurt, major?" cried LieutenantDillon.
"Yes, I am--I can't move."
Another shot was now fired, and the sergeant fell.
"Hell and flames! what must we do?"
But now the whole party of smugglers poured out of the cave as womenwith bonnets on, and commenced a murderous fire upon the troops who fellin all directions. The captain who had assumed the command, nowattempted to find his way to the other side of the cave, where he had nodoubt he should find the entrance, but in so doing the soldiers wereexposed to a most galling fire, without being able to return it.
At first, the troops refused to fire again, for that they had to dealwith the smugglers' wives, they made certain of: even in the thickest ofthe smoke there was nothing masculine to be seen; and those troops whowere at a greater distance, and who could return the fire, did not. Theywere rather amused at the character of the women, and not being awarethat their comrades were falling so fast, remained inactive. But thereis a limit to even gallantry, and as the wounded men were carried pastthem, their indignation was roused, and, at last, the fire was as warmlyreturned, but before that took place, one half of the detachment were_hors de combat_.
All the assistance which they might have received from the coveringparty of sailors on the beach, was neutralised; they did not know howmuch the soldiers had suffered, and although they fired in pursuance oforders, they would not take any aim.
For some time the soldiers were forced on to the eastern side of therock, which, as the reader may recollect, was much more precipitousthan the western side, where it was descended from by the ladder. Herethey were at the mercy of the conspirators, who, concealed below themasses of the rock on the platform, took unerring aim. The captain hadfallen, Lieutenant Dillon was badly wounded and led back to the boats,and the command had devolved upon a young man who had but just joinedthe regiment, and who was ignorant of anything like military tactics,even if they could have been brought into play upon the service.
"Do you call this fighting with women, Sergeant Tanner?" said one of themen. "I've seen service, but such a murderous fire I was never in. Why,we've lost two-thirds of our men."
"And shall lose them all before we find out the mouth of this cursedcave. The regiment has lost its character for ever, and I don't care howsoon a bullet settles my business."
Ramsay now detached a party of the men to fire at the covering party ofseamen who were standing by the boats in the cove and who wereunprotected, while his men were concealed behind the masses of rocks.Many fell, wounded or killed; and Vanslyperken, after shifting aboutfrom one position to another, ordered the wounded men to be put into hisboat, and with two hands he pulled off as he said to procure moreammunition, leaving the remainder of his detachment on shore, to do aswell as they could.
"I thought as how this work would be too warm for him," observed BillSpurey.
"Yes," replied Short, who, at the moment received a bullet in his thigh,and fell down among the rocks.
The fire upon the seamen continued to be effective. Move from their postthey did not, but one after another they sank wounded on the ground. Thesoldiers who were now without any one to command them, for those who hadforced their way to the western side of the rock, finding that
advanceor retreat was alike impossible, crawled under the sides of theprecipice to retreat from a murderous fire which they could not return.The others were scattered here and there, protecting themselves as wellas they could below the masses of stone, and returning the fire of theconspirators surely and desperately. But of the hundred men sent on theexpedition, there were not twenty who were not killed or wounded, andnearly the whole detachment of seamen had fallen where they stood.
It was then four o'clock, the few men who remained unhurt were sufferingfrom the extreme heat and exertion, and devoured with thirst. Thewounded cried for water. The sea was still, calm, and smooth as amirror; not a breath of wind blew to cool the fevered brows of thewounded men, and the cutter, with her sails hanging listless, floatedabout on the glassy water, about a quarter of a mile from the beach.
"Now is our time, Sir Robert."
"Yes, Ramsay--now for one bold dash--off with this woman's gear, mymen--buckle on your swords and put pistols in your belts."
In a very short time this order was complied with, and, notwithstandingsome of the men were wounded in this day's affair, as well as in thestruggle for the deck of the cutter, the three bands from Amsterdam,Portsmouth, and Cherbourg mustered forty resolute and powerful men.
The ladder was lowered down, and they descended. Sir Robert orderedJemmy Ducks and Smallbones to remain and haul up the ladder again, andthe whole body hastened down to the cove, headed by Sir Robert andRamsay, seized the boats, and shoved off for the cutter.