were deep down in the body of the ship, and had two or three ladders to
climb ere they arrived on the upper deck. But reach it they did, after
what seemed an eternity of suspense. Then, as they stepped out once
more into the blessed free air of heaven, the whole of the Atlantic
seemed suddenly to sweep over the ship; they felt her slide from beneath
their feet; and they were drawn down, down, down, until it appeared as
though they would never again see the light. But at last, with lungs
bursting and almost suffocated, they shot up to the heaving surface of
the sea, clinging tightly to each other.

And there--oh, blessed sight!--not twenty fathoms away, lay their own
ship, dismasted and looking an utter wreck, but more beautiful to their
eyes than any palace.

From her decks there came a shout: "There they are! there they are!
Lower away a boat! lower quickly, or the sharks will have them!"

In a few minutes the only remaining boat belonging to the ship was
lowered, and a dozen willing arms were sending her flying over the water
towards the two lads.

Bearded faces looked over her gunwale, and brawny arms literally
snatched them from an awful death; for as they were dragged out of the
water there was a snap of hungry jaws, and several huge sharks were
baulked of their prey.

A few minutes later, dripping and exhausted, the two lads found
themselves once more safe and sound on the decks of their beloved ship,
and saw Cavendish himself looking at them with an expression of anxiety
on his face.

"I hope, lads, you are none the worse for your adventure?" said he.

"No, sir, we are safe, thank God!" replied Roger; "but we have been
through a good deal, and are somewhat shaken. We should therefore like
to go below for a while. But is all the fighting over?"

"Yes," replied Cavendish, "and victory is to us."

The two then went below, and Harry soon had Roger under the care of the
surgeon. The good man pronounced that his wound was not dangerous, and
that he would do, with care.

Then, sitting by Roger's side, Harry plunged into a recital of his
adventures since the boarding of the Spaniard, a circle of eager
listeners standing or sitting round them.

CHAPTER FIVE.

THEY ENCOUNTER A STORM AT SEA, AND REACH THE ISLAND OF CUBA.

What had happened to Roger is already known to the reader, and what
befell Harry after the explosion on board the _Maria Dolorosa_ may be
very shortly recounted.

The shock of h