off before many hours are over; she has not
a shot-hole in her to signify, as we plugged them all as soon as they
were received."

"Impossible, Commander Adair," answered his superior officer; "the only
thing we can do is to prevent the _Flash_ from falling into the enemy's
hands. I cannot uselessly expose the lives of my crew in so hopeless an
undertaking. Those who have the advantage of experience know that it is
the duty of an officer to watch with a father's care over his people.
We'll stand in closer, and then see what is to be done."

Adair still urged the possibility of saving the _Flash_.

"I am your superior officer, and it is my duty to act as I think fit,
without taking your opinion," answered Commander Allport.

Adair turned away with no very affectionate feeling in his heart towards
his "superior officer."

The _Anaconda_ stood on till, when still at a safe distance from the
enemy's shot, she brought her broadside to bear upon the unfortunate
little _Flash_, and commenced practising with her heavy guns. A groan
escaped from Adair's bosom, echoed by many others from his crew, as he
saw one huge missile after another strike his devoted craft, and in a
short time commit more mischief than the enemy had inflicted on her
during the gallant fight he had waged for so many hours.

"We must take care, should she fall into the hands of the Russians, that
she is reduced to an utter wreck," observed Commander Allport.

"You are certainly setting about the right way to make her so," observed
Adair.

He even now was strongly inclined to urge the old martinet to desist, as
he saw shot after shot strike the hull of his vessel. The enemy, seeing
that the English were engaged in destroying her, wisely saved their own
powder by ceasing to fire, and allowed them to finish the work which
they had commenced.

While the _Anaconda_ was thus employed, another vessel hove in sight,
steaming up from the westward.

"She's the _Giaour_," observed Commander Allport, looking at the
signal-book; "Murray will assist us in knocking her to pieces."

"I very much doubt whether he will do anything of the sort," answered
Adair, unable to restrain himself; "I only wish he had come an hour ago,
to save her from destruction."

"You are forgetting our relative positions, Commander Adair," observed
Commander Allport, beginning now to fume.

"I only expressed my opinion that Murray would not have tried to knock
the _Flash_ to piec