d, and making
her fairly reel under the impact of the iron shower. Away forward,
Manuel, the first lieutenant, had observed the approach of the second
steamer; and he now laid the big 8-inch gun directly for her bows,
firing when she had approached to within about four hundred yards of the
cruiser. The gun's deep roar rang out loud above the din of the smaller
weapons, and a brilliant flash of white light leaped out on board the
steamer, the missile blowing a huge hole in her starboard bow, and
setting her on fire forward; as was seen by the blaze which at once
sprang up on board her.

At the same time the _Angamos_ passed ahead of the first steamer, which,
by the light of the beacon-fires now lighted aboard all three vessels,
was seen to be named the _Miraflores_; and, running alongside the
second, the _Huemul_, she delivered every gun of her starboard
broadside, bringing down the steel foremast, riddling the funnel with
rifle and machine-gun bullets, and killing every man on deck who was not
under cover. At the same time a 12-pounder shell, which struck a heap
of ammunition which had been placed on the _Huemul's_ deck to feed a 32-
pounder breech-loader, blew up the whole lot, killing the unfortunate
gun's crew, and lifting the gun itself bodily over the side into the
sea. The _Angamos_ then slowed down a little, and a few seconds later
the _Miraflores_ overtook her and discharged every available gun into
the cruiser, killing several more men, and dismounting one 32-pounder
and two 3-pounder quick-firing guns.

But the cruiser's people had meanwhile again loaded their guns on the
port broadside, and were not slow in avenging the death of their
comrades. They did not require the stimulus which Jim sought to impart
to them, by urging them in his excitement to "slap it into the beggars!"
for they worked their guns like demons, and, notwithstanding their rage
and fury, made such excellent practice that the _Miraflores_ began to
look more and more like a wreck every minute. At last, in desperation,
her captain actually tried to run his ship aboard the _Angamos_, with
the idea of boarding her; but the cruiser was several knots faster than
the gun-runner, and Jim, perceiving the fellow's intention, turned the
_Angamos_ to starboard and so avoided the collision, at the same time
pouring in another broadside with all his undamaged guns.

Instantly there arose a dense cloud of steam on board the _Miraflores_,
accompani