s the factory which had
blown up, for in its vaults there was a large quantity of gunpowder,
to which the fire had communicated.

"So ends that scheme, Mynheer Vanderdecken. He! he!" screamed
Schriften; "you'll never take that fort."

The loss of life and the confusion caused by this unexpected result,
occasioned a panic, and all the Ternate people fled down to the beach
where their peroquas were lying.

It was in vain that Philip and their chiefs attempted to rally them.
Unaccustomed to the terrible effects of gunpowder in any large
quantities, they believed that something supernatural had occurred,
and many of them jumped into the peroquas and made sail, while the
remainder were confused, trembling, and panting, all huddled together,
on the beach.

"You'll never take that fort, Mynheer Vanderdecken," screamed the
well-known voice.

Philip raised his sword to cleave the little man in two, but he let it
fall again. "I fear he tells an unwelcome truth," thought Philip; "but
why should I take his life for that?"

Some few of the Ternate chiefs still kept up their courage, but
the major part were as much alarmed as their people. After some
consultation, it was agreed that the army should remain where it was
till the next morning, when they should finally decide what to do.

When the day dawned, now that the Portuguese fort was no longer
surrounded by the other buildings, they perceived that it was more
formidable than they had at first supposed. The ramparts were filled
with men, and they were bringing cannon to bear on the Ternate forces.
Philip had a consultation with Krantz, and both acknowledged, that
with the present panic nothing more could be done. The chiefs were
of the same opinion, and orders were given for the return of the
expedition: indeed, the Ternate chiefs were fully satisfied with their
success; they had destroyed the large fort, the factory, and all the
Portuguese buildings; a small fortification only was uninjured: that
was built of stone, and inaccessible, and they knew that the report of
what had been done, would be taken and acknowledged by the king as a
great victory. The order was therefore given for embarkation, and in
two hours the whole fleet, after a loss of about seven hundred men,
was again on its way to Ternate. Krantz and Philip this time embarked
in the same peroqua, that they might have the pleasure of each other's
conversation. They had not, however, sailed above three hours, wh