sailor, discharging his musket at the enemy, leapt into his place.
"Give them a volley, Mr. Pascoe. Get your head round and row. Don't
let the men waste time in firing."

The volley from the launch again momentarily checked the enemy, and
just as she got round, another discharge from the gun further arrested
them. The boats were not, however, thirty yards from the shore before
this was lined with dark figures who opened a tremendous fire of
musketry.

"Row, lads, row!" Mr. Pascoe shouted to his men. "We shall be out of
their sight in another hundred yards."




CHAPTER VI.


THE ALMA

Desperately the men bent to their oars, and the heavy boat surged
through the water. Around them swept a storm of musket balls, and
although the darkness and their haste rendered the fire of the
Russians wild and uncertain, many of the shot took effect. With a
sigh, Mr. Pascoe fell against Jack, who was sitting next to him, just
at the moment when Jack himself experienced a sensation as if a hot
iron had passed across his arm. Several of the men dropped their oars
and fell back, but the boats still held rapidly on their way, and in
two or three minutes were safe from anything but random shot. At this