Shoving the disabled gun out of the way, these chaps
crossed the deck, unhooked the breechings and gun-tackles, raised the
piece from the deck, and placed it in the vacant port. The commodore
commended us, and called out, "that is quick work, my lads!" In less than
three minutes, I am certain, we were playing on the enemy with the
fresh gun.
As for the old man, he pulled through the fire as coolly as if it were
only a snow-balling scrape, though many a poor fellow lost the number of
his mess in the boats that day. When he left us, we cheered him again. He
had not left us long, before we heard an awful explosion on shore. Stones
as big as my two fists fell on board of us, though nobody was hurt by
them. We cheered, thinking some dire calamity had befallen the enemy. The
firing ceased soon after this explosion, though one English gun held on,
under the bank, for some little time.
Chapter V.
We did not know the cause of the last explosion, until after the firing
ceased. I had seen an awful black cloud, and objects in the air that I
took for men; but little did we imagine the explosion had cost us so dear.
Our schooner lay at no great distance from the common landing, and no
sooner were we certain of the success of the day, than Mr. Osgood ordered
his boat's crew called away, and he landed. As I belonged to the boat, I
had an early opportunity of entering the town.
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