he ship.

Remembering the remark Mr Saltwell had made just before he had quitted
the ship, Rayner again urged on his well-nigh exhausted crew to pull up
and rescue their brave officers. The raft was crowded with men. The
shout rose, "Shove off! shove off!" and with broken spars and pieces of
board, those on it were endeavouring to make their way to a distance
from the side of the ship.

Rayner steered his boat under the stern. The master was the first to
descend, Mr Saltwell came next, and the captain was the last to leave
her.

"Pull away, Rayner," he said, in a calm voice. "We have reason to be
thankful to Providence that she has not blown up yet, for at any moment
the fire may reach the magazine, and there is still powder enough, I
understand, to send the fragments far around."

The first yawl having received on board several people from the land,
took the raft in tow. In a short time the other boats returned, having
placed the people they carried in the Spanish boats, several of which
also arrived, though they lost not a moment in pulling again towards the
shore, as far as they could from the burning ship.

The captain directed Rayner to keep astern of the other boats. His eye
rested on his ship as if he desired to see her as long as she existed.
The moment of her destruction came at last. The rest of the crew having
landed, the yawl was nearing the shore, when a loud roar was heard as if
a whole broadside had been fired. The flames rose high in the air; the
masts shot upwards surrounded by burning fragments of planks and
timbers; the stout sides, rent asunder, rushed outwards, and in another
minute a few blackened fragments of the gallant ship, which had that
morning floated trim and proudly on the ocean, were alone visible.

Captain Martin looked sad and grave as he stepped on shore; but he felt
that he, as well as his officers, had done their duty, and had made
every possible effort to preserve the ship. Neither he nor they could
discover the cause of the fire.

Fortunately, England had not then declared war against Spain, and the
authorities received the British officers and men in a friendly manner,
while many of the inhabitants of the neighbouring town vied with each
other in rendering them all the service in their power.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

A NARROW ESCAPE--HOME--AN ACTION SUDDENLY ENDED.

The morning after the day they landed in Spain, Rayner had gone down to
the beach with Mr Sa