wait to hear the reply of "Very good. Keep your eye on the
smoke, and report any further developments," but jumped into his clothes
and hurried up on deck just in time to hear the bugles call "Hands on
deck. Clear ship for action." It was quite evident that the smoke
could not be coming from the second Chilian division; for, in that case,
there would have been three columns of smoke instead of two. Therefore
the strangers could scarcely be other than the long-sought-for Peruvian
ships the _Huascar_ and the _Union_.

A few seconds after the bugle had sounded the men came tumbling up on
deck, full of excitement at the idea of a fight; and with many a jovial
laugh and jest they hurried away to their quarters. Jim made the
rounds, saw that the men were at their stations, that the guns were
ready and run out, and that plenty of ammunition had been supplied to
the turrets, and then he reported to the first lieutenant that the ship
was "clear for action." The first lieutenant at once made his report to
the captain, who, in turn, reported to Commodore Riveros, who had
already entered the conning-tower. Several signals were made to the
_Almirante Cochrane_, which was steaming about a cable's-length astern;
and the two ships surged forward in silence to the encounter which was
to seal the fate of Peru, to destroy her sea-power, and to go down to
history as the battle of Angamos.

Jim was wandering from gun to gun, seeing that everything was in order,
and waiting for the action to commence, when he heard a roar of anger
and execration coming from the deck above, and, running up from below,
he saw that the ships were the _Huascar_ and the _Union_, and that they
had turned tail, having evidently discovered the proximity of the
Chilians, and were steaming to the southward as fast as they could go.
But Commodore Riveros had anticipated some such action, and as the
_Blanco Encalada_, owing to a foul bottom, could only steam about eight
knots, he sent forward in chase of the Peruvians the _Cochrane_, which
was capable of nearly eleven knots.

Latorre's ship instantly leaped forward at full speed upon the signal
being made, and Jim soon observed through his telescope that the
_Cochrane_ was a good deal faster than the Peruvians, and that she must
inevitably overtake them in a few hours' time. Riveros also sent word
down to his engine-room staff that the very last knot was to be got out
of his ship, and the effect of the increa