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necessary for carrying on the siege; in which service I mostly
attended him. While I was there I went about to different parts of the
island; and one day, particularly, my curiosity almost cost me my
life. I wanted very much to see the mode of charging the mortars and
letting off the shells, and for that purpose I went to an English
battery that was but a very few yards from the walls of the citadel.
There, indeed, I had an opportunity of completely gratifying myself in
seeing the whole operation, and that not without running a very great
risk, both from the English shells that burst while I was there, but
likewise from those of the French. One of the largest of their shells
bursted within nine or ten yards of me: there was a single rock close
by, about the size of a butt; and I got instant shelter under it in
time to avoid the fury of the shell. Where it burst the earth was torn
in such a manner that two or three butts might easily have gone into
the hole it made, and it threw great quantities of stones and dirt to
a considerable distance. Three shot were also fired at me and another
boy who was along with me, one of them in particular seemed
"Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage;"
for with a most dreadful sound it hissed close by me, and struck a
rock at a little distance, which it shattered to pieces. When I saw
what perilous circumstances I was in, I attempted to return the
nearest way I could find, and thereby I got between the English and
the French centinels. An English serjeant, who commanded the outposts,
seeing me, and surprised how I came there, (which was by stealth along
the seashore), reprimanded me very severely for it, and instantly took
the centinel off his post into custody, for his negligence in
suffering me to pass the lines. While I was in this situation I
observed at a little distance a French horse, belonging to some
islanders, which I thought I would now mount, for the greater
expedition of getting off. Accordingly I took some cord which I had
about me, and making a kind of bridle of it, I put it round the
horse's head, and the tame beast very quietly suffered me to tie him
thus and mount him. As soon as I was on the horse's back I began to
kick and beat him, and try every means to make him go quick, but all
to very little purpose: I could not drive him out of a slow pace.
While I was creeping along, still within reach of the enemy's shot, I
met with a servant well mounted on an English horse. I immediately
stopped; and, crying, told him my case; and begged of him to help me,
and this he effectually did; for, having a fine large whip, he began
to lash my horse with it so severely, that he set off full speed with
me towards the sea, while I was quite unable to hold or manage him. In
this manner I went along till I came to a craggy precipice. I now
could not stop my horse; and my mind was filled with apprehensions of
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