Firing their pistols, these at once took refuge in the house, three or four falling under the scattered fire that was opened as soon as the muskets of the warders fell into the hands of the convicts.
Directly the doors were closed the officers appeared at the windows, and opened a rifle fire upon the convicts, as did the guards near the gate.
As comparatively few of the convicts had muskets, they began to waver at once.

But, headed by the two ringleaders, the armed party rushed at the guard, shot them down, and threw open the gate.
Then an unexpected thing occurred.

The soldiers from the barracks happened to be marching down to do target practice on the shore, and were passing the convict prison when the firing broke out.

They were at once halted, and ordered to load, and as the convicts, with exultant shouts, poured through the gate they saw a long line of soldiers, with leveled muskets, facing them.
"At them!" one of the leaders shouted.

"It is too late to draw back now.
We have got to break through them." Many of the convicts ran back into the yard; but those armed with muskets, the more desperate of the party, followed their leaders.