ina's_ crew came helter-skelter down the
ladder, and, taking not the slightest notice of us, rushed off and
disappeared in the darkness.

"Steady, lads; not yet!" said I, as the _Dolphins_, like one man, pulled
themselves together and braced themselves for a rush.

More footsteps, and Don Luis appeared, bareheaded, in his shirt-sleeves,
his right arm bleeding profusely and dangling useless and broken at his
side, whilst his right hand still convulsively grasped the hilt of his
broken sword.

"Quick, Don Leo," he panted; "up with you, for the love of God! Captain
Calderon's courage failed him half an hour ago, and he left the defence
of the ship to the first lieutenant, who was killed a moment ago
fighting gallantly, and the crew, panic-stricken, at once gave way,
scattering all over the decks like frightened sheep, and huddling by
twos and threes into the first corner they could find, where they are
now being savagely slaughtered by those fiends of pirates. Quick, my
dear boy, or you may be too late--my daughter--oh, God, have mercy!--"

"Collins," said I, "off with your neckerchief; quick, my man; tie it
tightly about this gentleman's arm, _above_ the wound, mind, and stay
here in charge of him until you are relieved. Now, lads, away on deck
we go. Follow me; hurrah!"

The brave fellows responded with a single heart-stirring cheer as they
bounded after me up ladder after ladder, and in the twinkle of a
purser's dip we found ourselves on the upper deck.

A glance sufficed to show us that Don Luis' statement was literally
true. The pirates were scattered all over the upper deck, killing the
unresisting Spaniards as if they had been so many rats.

I hastily detailed the gunner with a dozen men to enter and explore the
cabins, to defend them against all comers, and to capture any strangers
they might discover therein; and then, Woodford leading one division and
I the other, we swept the decks from the after hatchway right forward,
cutting down everybody who attempted to oppose us. The pirates thus
unexpectedly found themselves all huddled together in the eyes of the
ship, where, their freedom of movement being seriously interfered with
by the presence of the heel of the bowsprit and all the gear which so
frequently hampers a ship's forecastle-head, they were placed at a very
serious disadvantage; and, though they fought desperately, we
overpowered them without much difficulty, gaining possession of the ship
i