nor, after a
hasty consultation with his officers, resolved to surrender, and two
minutes afterwards the Danish flag was hauled down in the fort and the
white flag run up. One of the Danish officers was directed to return
with Harry to the ship to notify the captain of the surrender of the
fort.

The astonishment of Captain Ball at seeing the course of his boat
suddenly altered, a white flag hoisted, and the gig proceeding direct
to the fort, had been extreme, and he could only suppose that Harry
had received some orders direct from the admiral and that a general
cessation of hostilities was ordered. His surprise became astonishment
when he saw the Danish flag disappear and the white flag hoisted in
its place; and a shout of relief and exultation echoed from stem to
stern of the _Caesar_, for all had felt that the conflict was hopeless
and that in a few minutes the _Caesar_ must strike her flag. All sorts
of conjectures were rife as to the sudden and unexpected surrender of
the fort, and expectation was at its highest when the gig was seen
rowing out again with a Danish officer by the side of the midshipman.

On reaching the ship's side Harry ascended the ladder with the Danish
officer, and advancing to Captain Ball said:

"This officer, sir, has, in compliance with the summons which I took
to the commander of the fort in your name, come off to surrender."

The Danish officer advanced and handed his sword to the captain,
saying:

"In the name of the commander of the fort I surrender."

The captain handed him back his sword, and ordering Harry to follow
him at once entered his cabin. His astonishment was unbounded when the
latter informed him what he had done, with many apologies for having
taken the matter into his own hands.

"I saw," he said, "that the _Caesar_ was being knocked to pieces, and
the coxswain told me that it was impossible she could much longer
resist. I therefore thought that I could do no harm by calling upon
the governor to surrender, and that it was possible that I might
succeed, as you see that I have."

"You certainly have saved the _Caesar_," Captain Ball said warmly, "and
we are all indeed indebted to you. It was a piece of astounding
impudence indeed for a midshipman to convey a message with which his
captain had not charged him; but success in the present case a
thousand times condones the offense. You have indeed done well, young
sir, and I and the ship's company are vastly indebted