Page 62 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

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62 EARLY ENGLISH ADVENTURERS IN THE EAST
under Michelborne’s leadership and with pikes had ad­
vanced to the attack of the Japanese, who were posted
in the aft part of the vessel.
A furious conflict ensued. The Englishmen with cool
determination fell upon their foes, killing and wounding
many with the deadly weapons which they knew so well
how to handle. On their part the Japanese fought with
the frenzy of fiends. Armed with only short swords or
knives they were at a serious disadvantage with their
antagonists, but nothing daunted they dodged the thrusts
and even caught hold of the pikes with one hand and
lunged at their holders with their swords in frantic efforts
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■ to kill them. For some minutes this combat went on,
each party realizing that it was a fight to the death or
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nothing. Gradually the superior weight and steadiness »
. of the Englishmen told. Inch by inch the Japanese were
driven down the deck, until at length they were near the
entrance of the cabin. Then with a shriek of baffled rage
they gave way and rushed pell-mell into the interior of
the vessel. To follow them would have meant certain
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death for the first who entered ; it was doubtful whether an
attack at close quarters could be made at all with success.
What was to be done ? For some time the Englishmen
deliberated without seeing any solution of the problem.
At length the happy thought occurred to some one to
assail the refuge of the miscreants with ordnance. The
idea was promptly acted on. Two demi-culverins (32
pounders) were loaded with bullets, case shot and pieces
of iron and fired pointblank at the exposed side of the
cabin. There was a crash and splinter of woodwork, i
followed by a shriek of mingled defiance and agony from
the interior and then was comparative silence. The

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