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"Yes, I am-I can't move.'

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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 women, with bonnets on, and commenced a murderous fire upon the troops, who fell in all directions. The captain, who had assumed the command, now attempted to find his way to the other side of the cave, where he had no doubt he should find the entrance, but in so doing the soldiers were exposed to a most galling fire, without being able to return it.

At first, the troops refused to fire again, for that they had to deal with the smugglers' wives, they made certain of: even in the thickest of the smoke there was nothing masculine to be seen; and those troops who were at a greater distance, and who could return the fire, did not. They were rather amused at the character of the women, and not being aware that their comrades were falling so fast, remained inactive. But there is a limit to even gallantry, and as the wounded men were carried past them, their indignation was roused, and, at last, the fire was as warmly returned; but before that took place, one half of the detachment were hors de combat.

All the assistance which they might have received from the covering party of sailors on the beach was neutralized; they did not know how much the soldiers had suffered, and although they fired in pursuance of orders, they would not take any aim.

For some time, the soldiers were forced on to the eastern side of the rock, which, as the reader may recollect, was much more precipitous than the western side, where it was descended from by the ladder. Here they were at the mercy of the conspirators, who, concealed below the masses of the rock on the platform, took unerring aim. The captain had fallen, Lieutenant Dillon was badly wounded and led back to the boats, and the command had devolved upon a young man who had but just joined the 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 the men. 66 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 cursed cave. The regiment has lost its character for ever, and I don't care how soon a bullet settles my business.'

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Ramsay now detached a party of the men to fire at the covering party of seamen who were standing by the boats in the cove, and who were unprotected, while his men were concealed behind the masses of rocks. Many fell, wounded or killed; and Vanslyperken, after shifting about from one position to another, ordered the wounded men to be put into his boat, and with two hands he pulled off as he said to procure more ammunition, leaving the remainder of his detachment on shore, to do as well as they could.

"I thought as how this work would be too warm for him,” observed Bill Spurey.

"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 post they did not, but one after another they sank wounded on the ground. The soldiers, who were now without any one to command them, for those who had forced their way to the western side of the rock, finding that advance or retreat was alike impossible, crawled under the sides of the precipice to retreat from a murderous fire which they could not return. The others were scattered here and there, protecting themselves as well as they could below the masses of stone, and returning the fire of the conspirators surely and desperately. But of the hundred men sent on the expedition, there were not twenty who were not killed or wounded, and nearly the whole detachment of seamen had fallen where they stood.

It was then four o'clock; the few men who remained unhurt were suffering from the extreme heat and exertion, and devoured with thirst. The wounded cried for water. The sea was still, calm, and smooth as a mirror; not a breath of wind blew to cool the fevered brows of the wounded men, and the cutter, with her sails hanging listless, floated about 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, my men-buckle on your swords and put pistols in your belts."

In a very short time this order was complied with, and, notwithstanding some of the men were wounded in this day's affair, as well as in the struggle 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 ordered Jemmy Ducks and Smallbones to remain and haul up the ladder again, and the whole body hastened down to the cove, headed by Sir Robert and Ramsay, seized the boats, and shoved off for the cutter.

CHAPTER LI.

IN WHICH THE JACOBITE CAUSE IS TRIUMPHANT BY SEA AS WELL AS BY LAND.

THE great difficulty which Sir Robert Barclay had to surmount, was to find the means of transport over the Channel for their numerous friends, male and female, then collected in the cave:

now that their retreat was known, it was certain that some effective measures would be taken by Government, by which, if not otherwise reduced, they would be surrounded and starved into submission.

The two boats which they had were not sufficient for the transport of so numerous a body, consisting now of nearly one hundred and fifty individuals, and their means of subsistence were limited to a few days.

The arrival of the cutter with the detachments was no source of regret to Sir Robert, who hoped, by the defeat of the troops, to obtain their boats, and thus make his escape; but this would have been difficult, if not impossible, if the cutter had been under command, as she carried four guns, and could have prevented their escape, even if she did not destroy the boats; but when Sir Robert observed that it had fallen calm, it at once struck him, that if, after defeating the troops, they could board and carry the cutter, that all their difficulties were over: then they could embark the whole of their people, and run her over to Cherbourg.

This was the plan proposed by Sir Robert, and agreed to by Ramsay, and to accomplish this, now that the troops were put to the rout, they had made a rush for, and obtained, the boats. As for the women left in the cave, they were perfectly secure for the time, as, without scaling-ladders, there was no possi bility of the remaining troops, even if they were rallied, being able to effect anything.

That part of the crew of the Yungfrau who had perceived them rush down to the beach, reported it to Mr. Vanslyperken, who had gone down to his cabin, not choosing to take any further part in the affray, or to risk his valuable life. Vanslyperken came on deck, where he witnessed the manning of the boats, and their pushing out of the cove.

"They are coming to attack us, sir," said Coble, who had been left in charge of the cutter when Mr. Vanslyperken went on shore.

Mr. Vanslyperken turned pale as a sheet; his eyes were fixed upon the form of Ramsay, standing up on the stern-sheets of the first boat, with his sabre raised in the air-he immediately recognised him, panted for breath, and could make no reply.

The crew of the cutter, weakened as they were by the loss of most of their best men, flew to their arms; Coble, Cornelius, and Jansen, and Corporal Van Spitter were to be seen in the advance, encouraging them.

"Gott for dam! let us have one slap for it," cried Jansen. "Mein Gott! yes," shouted the corporal.

Vanslyperken started up-"It's no use, my men-it's madness-useless sacrifice of life; they are two to one-we must surrender. Go down below, all of you-do you hear? obey my orders."

“Yes, and report them too, to the admiral,” replied Coble ;

"I never heard such an order given in my born days, and fifty odd years I have served in the king's fleet."

"Corporal Van Spitter, I order you below-all of you below," cried Vanslyperken; "I command here will you obey, sir?" "Mein Gott! yes," replied the corporal, walking away, and coolly descending the ladder.

The boats were now within ten yards of the cutter, and the men stood irresolute; the corporal obeying orders had disheartened them: some of them followed the corporal.

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'It's no use," said Coble, "I sees now it's of no use; it's only being cut to pieces for nothing, my men; but I won't leave the deck." Coble threw away his cutlass, and walked aft; the other men did the same, all but Jansen, who still hesitated. Coble caught the cutlass out of his hand, and threw it overboard, just as the boats dashed alongside.

"Gott for dam!" muttered Jansen, folding his arms and facing the men who jumped on the cutter's decks. Ramsay, who was first on board, when he perceived that the men were standing on the decks without making any opposition, turned and threw up the points of the swords of some of his men who were rushing blindly on, and, in a minute all was quiet on the decks of the Yungfrau. Mr. Vanslyperken was not to be seen. At the near approach of the boats he had hastened into his cabin and locked himself in; his only feeling being, that Ramsay's wrath must cool, and his life be spared.

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My lads," said Sir Robert to the crew of the cutter, “I am very glad that you made no resistance to a force which you could not resist, as I should have been sorry if one of you had lost his life; but you must now go down below and leave the cutter's deck in our possession. Perhaps it would be better if some of you took one of your boats and went on shore to pick up your messmates who are wounded."

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If you please, sir, we will," said Coble, coming forward, "and the cutter is yours, as far as we are concerned. We will make no attempts to retake her, at all events, for your kindness in thinking of our poor fellows lying there on the beach. I think you will promise that, my lads," continued Coble, turning to the men.

"Yes, we promise that," said the men.

Coble then took the crew with him and pulled on shore to the cove, on the margin of which they found all their men lying either killed or wounded. Dick Short, Spurey, and nine others were taken on board: those that were quite dead were left upon the sand. Leaving only ten men on board the cutter, which, however, was sufficient to cope with the few of the Yungfrau remaining on board, had they been inclined to forfeit their word, Sir Robert and Ramsay then returned with the rest of the party to the boats, and pulled on shore, for the rest of their assailants were not subdued; about twenty of the soldiers still remained unhurt, and were sitting down on the rocks.

Ramsay, as soon as he landed, showed a white handkerchief on a bayonet fixed to the muzzle of a musket. Sergeant Tanner," said one of the men, ""there's a flag of

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truce."

"Is there? I'm not sorry for it,-they are two to one even I'll go forward to meet it."

now.

The sergeant advanced to meet Ramsay.

"We might, if we pleased, oblige you to surrender or cut you to pieces-that you must own; but we have no wish to hurt you-there are too many good men dead already."

"That's true," replied the sergeant, "but it's one comfort you have turned out at last to be men, and not women.'

"We have; but to the terms. You were sent to take possession of the cave, you shall have possession as soon as we are gone, if you will draw off your party higher up this cliff and allow us to embark without molestation. If you do not immediately accept these terms, we shall certainly attack you : or you may do better if you please-pile your muskets, collect your wounded men, bring them down to the beach all ready to put into the boats, which, as soon as we are safe, we will give you possession of. Now is it a truce or not?-you must be immediate."

"Yes, then, it is a truce, for I see no chance of better terms. I am commanding officer, and you have the faith of Sergeant Tanner."

The sergeant then returned, and when half way, called to his men:

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Party fall in-pile arms." The soldiers, worn out by the long conflict, and aware that they had no chance against such superior numbers, gladly obeyed, and were now divided in sections of three and four, collecting the wounded and carrying them down to the cove.

Sir Robert and his men hastened to the rock-the ladder was lowered, and all was on the alert for embarkation-Lady Barclay and Lilly flew into his arms, while Wilhelmina hung on Ramsay; but they allowed but a short time for endearmenttime was too precious. The luggage had all been prepared and the chests of specie were lowered, the bundles thrown down, and, in a quarter of an hour, the cave was cleared of all that they could take away with them.

The women then descended, and all hands were employed carrying away the specie and luggage down to the boats. As soon as one boat was loaded with the boxes of money, Lady Barclay, Lilly, and Wilhelmina were put in it, and one half of the men went with them on board of the cutter where Coble had already arrived with the wounded seamen. Ramsay remained with the other boat to embark the women and luggage: when all was in, he called the sergeant, pointed out to him the ladder, and told him that he might find something worth his trouble in the cave.

"Is there a drop of anything to drink, sir? for we who are

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