He signalled
accordingly; and at nine-thirty, under the eyes of the squadron, a
boat from the bomb-ship started to tow the infernal machine towards
the harbour. By leave of Bill Adams, commanding, our Major made one
of the crew of twelve.
In less than a quarter of an hour their approach was signalled by the
enemy's vedettes to the forts ashore, which promptly opened fire.
Mr. Adams, having towed the catamaran within its proper range, with
his own hand pulled the plug releasing the clockwork, and gave the
order to cast off, leaving wind and tide to do the rest; which they
doubtless would have done had not a gun from one of the French
batteries plumped a shot accurately into the catamaran.
The catamaran exploded with a terrific report, and the wave of the
explosion caught the retreating boat, lifted her seven feet, capsized
her, and brought her accurately down, bottom upwards.
A score of boats put out to the rescue, picked up the exhausted
swimmers, and attempted to right and recover the boat, but abandoned
this attempt on the approach of an overwhelming force of French.
These, coming up, seized on the boat and gallantly, under a
short-dropping fire from our squadron, proceeded to right their
prize; and, righting her, discovered Major Hymen, clinging to a
thwart, trapped as an earwig is trapped beneath an inverted
flower-pot.
CHAPTER XVII.
MISSING!
Miss Marty had just finished watering her sweet-peas and mignonette;
had inspected each of the four standard roses beside the front gate
in search of green-fly; had caught a snail sallying forth to dine
late upon her larkspurs, and called to Cai Tamblyn to destroy it;
had, in short, performed all her ritual for the cool of the day; and
was removing her gardening gloves when a vehement knocking agitated
the front door, and Scipio hurried to announce that a caller--a
Mr.
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