Just thereabouts it was all nearly level, so I fell my eight men in within twenty yards of the surf, and waited.

I felt tempted to throw out pickets yet afraid not to obey implicitly.

Ranjoor Singh given no order about pickets.
I judge it took more than an hour, and it may have been two hours, to bring all the men and the twenty boxes of cartridges ashore.

At last in three boats came the captain of the ship, and the mate, and the engineer, and nearly all the crew.

Then I grew suddenly afraid and hot sweat burst out all over me, for by the one lantern that had been hung from the ship's bridge rail to guide the rowers I could see that the ship was moving! The ship's captain had climbed out of the last boat and was standing close to it.