ht, by now, still
whanging away at her many enemies, and still proudly flaunting the
flag of Arragon in the faces of the British war-dogs, who were
snapping and snarling at her like a wolf pack. What became of her was
not known for several days, when the poor, battered _King George_
staggered into a sheltering harbor, there to meet with the _Duke_
herself, which was Dottin's good ship,--the one which all had thought
to have exploded and sunk.

"Hurray!" shouted many. "She's afloat after all!"

Eager questioning brought out the fact that it had been the frigate
_Dartmouth_ which had exploded; a vessel which had run near the fight
in order to see the fun. Some loose powder had set fire to her
magazine, and thus she had suffered the same fate as the _Fleuron_,
which, as you remember, had blown up, when at anchor in the harbor of
Brest. _It's a wise ship that keeps away from a sea battle._

Only seventeen of the crew of this unfortunate craft had been picked
up by the boats of the _Prince Frederick_; one of whom was an Irish
lieutenant named O'Brien, who was hauled aboard Dottin's vessel, clad
only in a night shirt.

"Sirrah!" said he, bowing politely. "You must excuse the unfitness of
my dress to come aboard a strange ship, but really I left my own in
such a hurry that I had no time to stay for a change." He had been
blown out of a port-hole!

An additional vessel, the _Russel_, had aided in the capture of the
powerful _Glorioso_, so it had taken four privateers to down the proud
Castilian: the _Duke_, the _Prince George_, the _Prince Frederick_,
and the _Russel_. Certainly she had put up a magnificent battle and
she had completely crippled the stout little craft sailed by Captain
Walker, who was now filled with chagrin and mortification, when he
found that the treasure (which he had been sure was in the hold) had
been safely landed at Ferrol, before he had sighted this valorous
man-of-warsman. It was a great blow both to him and to his men, and,
upon arriving at Lisbon he was met by one of the owners of his own
vessel, who severely reprimanded him for fighting with such a powerful
boat.

"Captain Walker," said he, "I fear that your fighting blood is
superior to your prudence!"

But to this, the game old sea-dog replied, with considerable heat:

"Had the treasure been aboard the _Glorioso_, as I expected, my dear
sir, your compliment would have been far different. Or had we let her
escape from us with the treasu