Lieutenant H.T.C.  Walker had his arm carried away by a shell on the upper deck and lay in the darkness while the storming parties trod him under.  He was recognized and dragged aside by the Commander.  He raised his remaining arm in greeting, “Good luck to you,” he called, as the rest of the stormers hastened by; “good luck.”

[Sidenote:  The wounded and dying cheer.]

The lower deck was a shambles as the Commander made the rounds of his ship; yet those wounded and dying raised themselves to cheer as he made his tour.  The crew of the howitzer which was mounted forward had all been killed; a second crew was destroyed likewise; and even then a third crew was taking over the gun.  In the stern cabin a firework expert, who had never been to sea before—­one of Captain Brock’s employees—­was steadily firing great illuminating rockets out of a scuttle to show up the lighthouse on the end of the Mole to the block ships and their escort.

[Sidenote:  The Daffodil’s part in the fight.]

The Daffodil, after aiding to berth Vindictive, should have proceeded to land her own men, but now Commander Carpenter ordered her to remain as she was, with her bows against Vindictive’s quarter, pressing the latter ship into the Mole.  Normally, Daffodil’s boilers develop eighty pounds’ pressure of steam per inch; but now, for this particular task, Artificer Engineer Button, in charge of them maintained a hundred and sixty pounds for the whole period that she was holding Vindictive to the Mole.  Her casualties, owing to her position during the fight, were small—­one man killed and eight wounded, among them her Commander, Lieutenant H. Campbell, who was struck in the right eye by a shell splinter.

[Sidenote:  The Iris finds her work difficult.]

Iris had troubles of her own.  Her first attempts to make fast to the Mole ahead of Vindictive failed, as her grapnels were not large enough to span the parapet.  Two officers.  Lieutenant Commander Bradford and Lieutenant Hawkins, climbed ashore and sat astride the parapet trying to make the grapnels fast till each was killed and fell down between the ship and the wall.  Commander Valentine Gibbs had both legs shot away and died next morning.  Lieutenant Spencer, B.N.R., though wounded, conned the ship and Lieutenant Henderson, R.N., came up from aft and took command.

[Sidenote:  Terrible casualties on the Iris.]

Iris was obliged at last to change her position and fall in astern of Vindictive, and suffered very heavily from the fire.  A single big shell plunged through the upper deck and burst below at a point where fifty-six marines were waiting the order to go to the gang-ways.  Forty-nine were killed and the remaining seven wounded.  Another shell in the ward-room, which was serving as sick bay, killed four officers and twenty-six men.  Her total casualties were eight officers and sixty-nine men killed and three officers and a hundred and two men wounded.