4 P.M.
So soon as the others came up , all hands opened on the gallant little hooker who was forcing the blockade , and peppered away ; and there she was , like a hare , with a whole pack of harriers after her , sailing and sweeping in under their fire towards the doomed city . As the wind was very light , the blockading squadron now manned their boats , and some of them were coming fast , when a raffle of musketry from the small craft sent them to the right about , and presently the chase was safely at anchor under the battery of Santa Catalina . But the fun was to come-for by this time some of the vessels that held her in chase , had got becalmed under the batteries , which immediately opened on them cheerily ; and down came a topgallant-mast here , and a topsail-yard there , and a studdingsail t ' other place-and such a squealing and creaking of blocks and rattling of the gear , while yards braced hither and thither , and topping-lifts let go , and sheets let fly , showed that the Dons were in a sad quandary ; and no wonder , for we could see the shot from the long 32-pounders on the walls , falling very thick all around several of them . However , at 4 P.M. we had worked up alongside of the Commodore , when the old skipper gave our friend such a rating , that I do n't think he will ever forget it . On the day following our being fired at , I was sent , being a good Spaniard , along with the second lieutenant -- poor Treenail -- to Morillo 's headquarters . We got an order to the officer commanding the nearest post on shore , to provide us with horses ; but before reaching it , we had to walk , under a roasting sun , about two miles through miry roads , until we arrived at the barrier , where we found a detachment of artillery , but the commanding officer could only give us one poor broken-winded horse , and a jackass , on which we were to proceed to headquarters on the morrow ; and here , under a thatched hut of the most primitive construction , consisting simply of cross sticks and palm branches , we had to spend the night , the poor fellows being as kind as their own misery would let them . Next morning we proceeded , accompanied by a hussar , through dreadful roads , where the poor creatures we bestrode sunk to the belly at every flounder , until about four p.m. , when we met two negroes and found , to our great distress , that the soldier who was our guide and escort , had led us out of our way , and that we were in very truth then travelling towards the town .