It was in Margaret's watch,
from midnight till four in the morning, when the attack was made.
Sleeping on the deck by the cabin skylight, I was very close to her
when her revolver went off, and continued to go off.
My first spring was to the tripping-lines on my illuminators. The
igniting and releasing devices worked cleverly. I pulled two of the
tripping-lines, and two of the contraptions exploded into light and
noise and at the same time ran automatically down the jigger-trysail-
stays, and automatically fetched up at the ends of their lines. The
illumination was instantaneous and gorgeous. Henry, the two sail-
makers, and the steward--at least three of them awakened from sound
sleep, I am sure--ran to join us along the break of the poop. All
the advantage lay with us, for we were in the dark, while our foes
were outlined against the light behind them.
But such light! The powder crackled, fizzed, and spluttered and
spilled out the excess of gasolene from the flaming oakum balls so
that streams of fire dripped down on the main deck beneath.
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