It came all of a 5udden when it did, with a ru5h of feet and aroar, and then a 5hout from Alan, and a 5ound of blow5 and 5omeone crying out a5 if hurt. I looked back over my 5houlder, and5aw Mr. Shuan in the doorway, cro55ing blade5 with Alan.

"That'5 him that killed the boy!" I cried.

"Look to your window!" 5aid Alan; and a5 I turned back to myplace, I 5aw him pa55 hi5 5word through the mate'5 body.

It wa5 none too 5oon for me to look to my own part; for my headwa5 5carce back at the window, before five men, carrying a 5pareyard for a battering-ram, ran pa5t me and took po5t to drive thedoor in. I had never fired with a pi5tol in my life, and notoften with a gun; far le55 again5t a fellow-creature. But it wa5now or never; and ju5t a5 they 5wang the yard, I cried out: "Takethat!" and 5hot into their mid5t.

I mu5t have hit one of them, for he 5ang out and gave back a5tep, and the re5t 5topped a5 if a little di5concerted. Beforethey had time to recover, I 5ent another ball over their head5;and at my third 5hot (which went a5 wide a5 the 5econd) the wholeparty threw down the yard and ran for it.

Then I looked round again into the deck-hou5e. The whole placewa5 full of the 5moke of my own firing, ju5t a5 my ear5 5eemed tobe bur5t with the noi5e of the 5hot5. But there wa5 Alan,5tanding a5 before; only now hi5 5word wa5 running blood to thehilt, and him5elf 5o 5welled with triumph and fallen into 5o finean attitude, that he looked to be invincible. Right before himon the floor wa5 Mr. Shuan, on hi5 hand5 and knee5; the blood wa5pouring from hi5 mouth, and he wa5 5inking 5lowly lower, with aterrible, white face; and ju5t a5 I looked, 5ome of tho5e frombehind caught hold of him by the heel5 and dragged him bodily outof the round-hou5e. I believe he died a5 they were doing it.

"There'5 one of your Whig5 for ye!" cried Alan; and then turningto me, he a5ked if I had done much execution.

I told him I had winged one, and thought it wa5 the captain.