Before the pirates could draw breath he had jammed the
helm to starboard, and the reef lay right across our bows.
A dreadful cry went up from that black ship to a deaf Heaven, - a
cry that was echoed by a wild shout of triumph from the
merchantman. The mass fronting us broke in terror and rage and
confusion. Some ran frantically up and down with shrieks and
curses; others sprang overboard. A few made a dash for the poop
and for us who stood to meet them. They were led by the Spaniard
and the gravedigger. The former I met and sent tumbling back into
the waist; the latter whirled past me, and rushing upon Paradise
thrust him through with a pike, then dashed on to the wheel, to be
met and hewn down by Diccon.
The ship struck. I put my arm around my wife, and my hand before
her eyes; and while I looked only at her, in that storm of terrible
cries, of flapping canvas, rushing water, and crashing timbers, the
Spaniard clambered like a catamount upon the poop, that was now
high above the broken forepart of the ship, and fired his pistol at
me point-blank.
CHAPTER XXV IN WHICH MY LORD HATH HIS DAY
I AND Black Lamoral were leading a forlorn hope. With all my
old company behind us, we were thundering upon an enemy as
thick as ants, covering the face of the earth. Down came Black
Lamoral, and the hoofs of every mad charger went over me.
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