They paused at their oars, astounded into silence for a moment.

Then speech burst from them like an explosion.

Angrily voluble they anathematized this dangerous carelessness on the part of their gunner, who should know better than to fire a salute from a cannon loaded with shot.

They were still cursing him when a second shot, better aimed than the first, came to crumple one of the boats into splinters, flinging its crew, dead and living, into the water.
But if it silenced these, it gave tongue, still more angry, vehement, and bewildered to the crews of the other seven boats.

From each the suspended oars stood out poised over the water, whilst on their feet in the excitement the Spaniards screamed oaths at the ship, begging Heaven and Hell to inform them what madman had been let loose among her guns.
Plump into their middle came a third shot, smashing a second boat with fearful execution.