The boom of the cannon of the ships was answered by an incessant fire
from the far more numerous artillery of the fortress, while now and
then a heavy explosion, close at hand, told of the bursting of the
bombs from the mortar vessels, in the fortress.
Charlie had been thinking of the best measures to be taken, to aid his
friends, ever since the squadron came in sight; and, after sitting
quietly for half an hour, he called his officers around him.
"I am convinced," he said, "that if unaided from within, the ships
will have no chance whatever of taking this fortress; but I think that
we may help them. The upper fort, which contains the magazine,
commands the whole of the interior. But its guns do not bear upon the
ships where they are anchored. Probably the place, at present, is
almost deserted. As no one pays any attention to us, I propose, with
Tim Kelly and the ten English sailors, to seize it. We can close the
gate, and discharge the guns upon the defenders of the sea face. We
could not, of course, defend it for five minutes if they attacked us;
but we would threaten to blow up the magazine, if they did so.
"I propose that, tomorrow morning, you four and Hossein shall strip to
your loincloths, and just before it becomes light go along the walls,
and stop up, with pieces of wood, the touch holes of as many of the
cannon as you can.
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