large/3448/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_12_ballou_64kb_62
large/3448/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_12_ballou_64kb
English
3448
Once more upon their deck, the hand to hand battle was short, bloody and decisive, until towards its close, Captain Bramble found himself driven into the forecastle with a number of his followers, and at the same moment saw the mate of the "Sea Witch," with those of his people that were left alive hastening to embark in a quarterboat, and pull away from the vessel's side with great speed. ONCE MORE UPON THEIR DECK THE HAND TO HAND BATTLE WAS SHORT BLOODY AND DECISIVE UNTIL TOWARDS ITS CLOSE CAPTAIN BRAMBLE FOUND HIMSELF DRIVEN INTO THE FORECASTLE WITH A NUMBER OF HIS FOLLOWERS AND AT THE SAME MOMENT SAW THE MATE OF THE SEA WITCH WITH THOSE OF HIS PEOPLE THAT WERE LEFT ALIVE HASTENING TO EMBARK IN A QUARTERBOAT AND PULL AWAY FROM THE VESSEL'S SIDE WITH GREAT SPEED
so sought again the shelter of the jungle. The conflict, which was very brief, was also a very sanguinary, and five of the slaver's people had been either mortally wounded or killed outright; but from the habit of constantly wearing their arms, even to pistols, when on the coast, they had been found in a very good situation at even the shortest notice for defending themselves. Captain Bramble now saw evident tokens of a purpose to unmoor the vessel, and let her drift out into the river, which would at once place her beyond his reach, as he had no boats within a league of the spot; and therefore he resolved upon a second onslaught, and this time divided his men into three parts--one to board at the bows, one at the stern, and himself leading a dozen picked men at the waist. This division of his forces was the best manouvre he could possibly make, and succeeded admirably, since his own people outnumbered the slavers, and by dividing them he strengthened his own power and weakened theirs.  FOR A FEW MOMENTS AND SO SOUGHT AGAIN THE SHELTER OF THE JUNGLE THE CONFLICT WHICH WAS VERY BRIEF WAS ALSO VERY SANGUINARY AND FIVE OF THE SAILOR'S PEOPLE HAD BEEN EITHER MORTALLY WOUNDED OR KILLED OUTRIGHT BUT FROM THE HABIT OF CONSTANTLY WEARING THEIR ARMS EVEN TO PISTOLS WHEN ON THE COAST THEY HAD BEEN FOUND IN A VERY GOOD SITUATION AT EVEN THE SHORTEST NOTICE FOR DEFENDING THEMSELVES CAPTAIN BRAMBLE NOW SAW EVIDENT TOKENS OF A PURPOSE TO UNMOOR THE VESSEL AND LET HER DRIFT OUT INTO THE RIVER WHICH WOULD AT ONCE PLACE HER BEYOND HIS REACH AS HE HAD NO BOATS WITHIN A LEAGUE OF THE SPOT AND THEREFORE HE RESOLVED UPON A SECOND ONSLAUGHT AND THIS TIME DIVIDED HIS MEN INTO THREE PARTS ONE TO BOARD AT THE BOWS ONE AT THE STERN AND HIMSELF LEADING A DOZEN PICKED MEN AT THE WAIST THIS DIVISION OF HIS FORCES WAS THE BEST MANOEUVRE HE COULD POSSIBLY MAKE AND SUCCEEDED ADMIRABLY SINCE HIS OWN PEOPLE OUTNUMBERED THE SLAVERS AND BY DIVIDING THEM HE STRENGTHENED HIS OWN POWER AND WEAKENED THEIRS
large/3448/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_12_ballou_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/3448/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_12_ballou_64kb.flac