They were afraid to venture on board the grim colliers, and go groping down into their hulls to fire them.

It seemed like a voluntary entrance into dungeons and death.
"Follow me, all of you but ten by the boats," said Paul, without noticing their murmurs.

"And now, to put an end to all future burnings in America, by one mighty conflagration of shipping in England.

Come on, lads! Pipes and matches in the van!" He would have distributed the men so as simultaneously to fire different ships at different points, were it not that the lateness of the hour rendered such a course insanely hazardous.

Stationing his party in front of one of the windward colliers, Paul and Israel sprang on board.
In a twinkling they had broken open a boatswain's locker, and, with great bunches of oakum, fine and dry as tinder, had leaped into the steerage.