Night came once more, and the Americans were reduced to the sorest
straits. Soon after dark, the cannonading ceased and a silence of death
fell over the fort, broken only by the groans of some poor, wounded
fellow. The people within the fort went about talking in whispers. Three
bodies, which they had not had time to bury, lay, stark and silent under
the shed, and there were nine fresh graves on the hillside. In
addition, more than thirty of the defenders were disabled from wounds.
Captain Stevens, Sukey, Terrence and Lieutenant Willard were holding a
consultation in a room of the old tavern. Lieutenant Willard said:
"Captain Stevens, there is no other alternative, we must surrender. To
hold out longer is murder. If we had a few competent gunners we might
drive her away, but with our inexperienced men, we are wasting
ammunition and life to resist."
"There is one chance," said Fernando. "Perhaps we could carry the ship
by the board."
"By the board! divil a bit!" put in Terrence. "Why they'd sink us all
before we could get within a hundred yards of the plagued ship."
Sukey, remembering that Captain Snipes, his avowed enemy, was on board
the _Xenophon_, was eager to make the effort to carry her by the board.
"It will be a desperate undertaking," said Lieutenant Willard. "If we
had sailors instead of riflemen it might be done very easily; but it is
a desperate chance; yet we are in a desperate situation.
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