If we are surrounded before we can join you, you must make a sally and
cut us out if you can. The word among our men is, 'Women and children!'"

He burst away, like fire going before the wind over dry reeds. He roused
up the seven men who were off duty, and had them bursting away with him,
before they know they were not asleep. I reported orders to Charker, and
ran to the Fort, as I have never run at any other time in all my life:
no, not even in a dream.

The gate was not fast, and had no good fastening: only a double wooden
bar, a poor chain, and a bad lock. Those, I secured as well as they
could be secured in a few seconds by one pair of hands, and so ran to
that part of the building where Miss Maryon lived. I called to her
loudly by her name until she answered. I then called loudly all the
names I knew--Mrs. Macey (Miss Maryon's married sister), Mr. Macey, Mrs.
Venning, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, even Mr. and Mrs. Pordage. Then I called
out, "All you gentlemen here, get up and defend the place! We are caught
in a trap. Pirates have landed. We are attacked!"

At the terrible word "Pirates!"--for, those villains had done such deeds
in those seas as never can be told in writing, and can scarcely be so
much as thought of--cries and screams rose up from every part of the
place. Quickly lights moved about from window to window, and the cries
moved about with them, and men, women, and children came flying down into
the square. I remarked to myself, even then, what a number of things I
seemed to see at once. I noticed Mrs. Macey coming towards me, carrying
all her three children together. I noticed Mr. Pordage in the greatest
terror, in vain trying to get on his Diplomatic coat; and Mr. Kitten
respectfully tying his pocket-handkerchief over Mrs. Pordage's nightcap.
I noticed Mrs. Belltott run out screaming, and shrink upon the ground