id more damage than had been sustained during the whole of the fight.
The aim was good, and the bullets swept the decks of the barge like a
tempest of hail, sending every man who was not under cover into
eternity. Once again, also, the folly of leaving loose piles of
ammunition exposed was demonstrated; for, penetrating the thin bulwarks
as though they were so much paper, several of the shots ploughed into
the heap of cartridges, exploding it and scattering death and mutilation
all round.

When the smoke of the explosion cleared away, it was seen that there
were scarcely half a dozen men left alive; and if the boat next in line
had not very promptly responded to the frenzied hails of the survivors,
and at once put back to take them on board, with their prisoner, every
man would have been lost; for they had scarcely transferred themselves
to the deck of the other craft before Frobisher's barge, with a large
hole blown in her bottom by the explosion, heeled over and sank, taking
her dead and wounded to the bottom with her.

The fight was now virtually over, and only a few more long-distance
shots were exchanged before the Korean fleet was out of range, leaving
the rebel squadron behind them in a state of hopeless confusion. Late
that same afternoon the town of Yo-ju was reached, and the men and cargo
were disembarked without any signs of the reappearance of the rebels.
In fact, the latter had given up the chase, thoroughly disheartened,
after the destruction of the steamer, and had reconciled themselves to
the loss of the arms.

Fortunately for them, the Englishman, Drake, had not been paid in
advance, and the money was therefore still intact and available for the
purchase of another consignment; so, with true Oriental submission to
fate, they retraced their steps to Yong-wol, and subsequently sent a
messenger to Drake, informing him that the convoy had been attacked and
overpowered, the whole of the cargo captured, and the young white man in
command either slain or made prisoner.

Frobisher, very much alive, but still weak from his wounds, arrived in
due time at Asan, closely guarded by a file of soldiery, and was carried
direct to the fort at the mouth of the river.

Here he was immediately haled before the officer in command of the
garrison and closely questioned, through an interpreter, as to his
connection with the matter of bringing arms to the rebels. But he had
already foreseen that this would happen, and