rks, ready to spring as soon as Cavendish
should give his order to board.

Meanwhile the three other Spaniards, seeing the manoeuvre of the English
and the danger of their consorts, had made all sail as quickly as
possible, and were now running away before the wind in order to go about
and stand up on the starboard tack to engage the English vessels and
relieve their companions, which were in a somewhat parlous state.

The guns of the English ships' starboard broadsides now once more opened
fire with a simultaneous crash, which was immediately followed by a
discharge of musketry and arrows which laid low on the Spaniard's deck
nearly every living soul who had not taken what cover the deck
structures afforded.

"Now, boarders," roared Cavendish, his voice ringing high above the
turmoil, "away with you, and do not leave their decks until their flag
comes down!"

With a wild cheer the seamen, headed by Cavendish--who was closely
supported by Roger and Harry, who were respectively second and third on
the enemy's decks,--dashed at the Spaniards.

One of the two Spanish ships was now blazing fiercely, having been set
on fire by the discharges of the English guns, and her crew were
beginning to think that the time had arrived for them to leave her. In
this opinion they were confirmed by the English, who were gradually
driving them from their own decks to those of their consort. They were
thus, as it were, between two fires, and were badly hampered by the
necessity to climb from the one vessel to the other. Those of them who
could not gain the deck of the other ship were driven overboard, and
very few of them survived to reach their goal.

"Quickly, lads," shouted Roger; "drive these fellows off the deck, and
let us regain our own ship while we can. The other Spaniards are
drawing up, and will be on us before we are ready for them if we do not
look sharp."

The seamen, animated by his voice, and seeing the necessity for doing as
he said, redoubled their efforts, and, with hearty cheers, massed
themselves together and charged along the reeking and slippery decks.

The Spaniards, unable to resist the weight of the charge, scattered,
and, finding no other way of escape, dashed below; but they could not so
easily avoid the victorious English, who followed and hunted them out of
their hiding-places.

As Roger and Harry, having dashed below in pursuit, were running down
one of the narrow alleyways, searching for hidden