the other houses.

The inhabitants, now aroused from their slumbers by the hubbub, put
their heads, with their nightcaps on, out of the windows in all
directions, but quickly withdrew them, uttering loud shrieks and
exclamations of dismay and surprise. After a little time Dick caught
sight of me.

"Charley," he cried out, "what has brought you here?"

"I wanted to see the fun, Dick. I hope you are not angry."

"But I am, though, Charley," he answered; "and though, to my mind, it's
dirty work attacking sleeping people, who have never done us any harm,
we may have some fighting yet, and you may get knocked on the head.
Stick by me, however, and I'll look after you, though you don't deserve
it."

I felt ashamed of myself, and took good care to do as Dick told me.

He, with about half the number of our party, now proceeded to one side
of the town, while the other marched to the farther end, three or four
armed men entering any of the large houses which appeared likely to
contain booty worth carrying off. My party had accompanied the marines
under Lieutenant Pyke, who was shouting out "he only wished he could see
a foe worthy of his steel." As we went along, we came to a small
square, at the other side of which a band of some twenty persons
appeared, others coming up in the distance. I am not sure that all had
arms, though they presented a somewhat military aspect. Our commander
ordered the marines to charge them.

"On, lads, on!" cried the lieutenant, waving his sword, but he did not
move very fast. The Spaniards, however, seeing the invaders coming, ran
off as fast as their legs would carry them, when the lieutenant doubled
his speed, waving his sword still more vehemently, and shouting out:
"On, brave lads! Death or victory!" By the time he got across the
square, no foe was to be seen, and after looking round the corner to
ascertain that they had not reassembled, he marched back his men in
triumph.

In a short time every house had been ransacked, and, with our booty and
prisoners, we returned to the boats and regained the ship, not a shot
having been fired nor a life lost.

The commandant having agreed to pay five thousand dollars as his own
ransom and that of his companions, one of the fat friars was sent on
shore to collect the money, having orders to return by noon. He shook
his head, and declared that this was impossible.

"It might take four or five days, perhaps a week, to collect such a
sum