ne between the two
Spanish squadrons, she would be thereafter exposed, with empty guns, to
the fire in succession of the five Spanish ships; that is to say, the
two ships in line ahead on the one side, and the three in the same
formation on the other.

But if they imagined that the English were going to walk open-eyed into
such a simple trap as that they were vastly mistaken.

Cavendish saw at once what tactics the enemy anticipated that he would
adopt, and immediately made up his mind to checkmate them by following a
totally different line of action; and accordingly he promptly signalled
for his other two captains to come on board. This they did forthwith,
and, taking them into the cabin of his ship, he briefly and hurriedly
explained to them the manoeuvre he intended to adopt to outwit the
Spaniards.

This explanation was soon made, and the two skippers immediately
returned to their respective ships.

The two squadrons had by this time arrived within gunshot of each other,
and Harry and Roger, eager though they were for the fight to commence,
were yet conscious of a peculiar feeling something akin to fright, in
extenuation of which it must be remembered that neither of the boys had
ever been in action before.

It was now half an hour after mid-day, and one bell sounded on the three
ships of the English fleet.

At almost the same moment, and before the sound of the bells had died
away, the first shot in the action was fired by the Spaniards.

Harry, who was watching the starboard line or division of the enemy, saw
a flash, and immediately afterwards heard a whizzing sound, followed
from somewhere over his head by a sharp crash. Then a shower of
splinters fell round him and Roger, who was standing close by; while
immediately following this, down the wind came the dull boom of the
explosion.

Roger looked aloft to see what damage had been done by the shot; it was
not very much: the fore topmast showed a white mark where a piece had
been neatly gouged out of it, and a few ropes were severed, but nothing
serious had happened.

In accordance with Cavendish's orders, no shot was fired in return by
the English fleet; and presently, as they were about half a mile from
the foremost Spanish vessels, a very hurricane of smoke and fire burst
from as many of them as could bring their guns to bear on the little
English squadron.

There was a crashing and crackling all round, and Roger and Harry
involuntarily winced a