single man, there won't be one left alive in the course of a few
minutes."

"Fortunately, I fancy that it takes fully five shot to kill a man,"
answered Tom, though he may not have been perfectly correct in his
estimate.

"I should doubt if even a cat could escape, unless she hid herself in a
cellar," said Desmond; "it is tremendous."

His last remark correctly described the scene; from the two lines there
issued, without intermission, flashes and wreaths of smoke, each
denoting the passage of an engine of destruction against the fortress;
the shells forming continuous arches in the air, the shot flying with
more direct aim, till the whole atmosphere became filled with dense
clouds of smoke, amid which the walls of the fort and dark hulls of the
ships, with their masts and rigging, could only be indistinctly seen.
At the end of ten minutes there appeared, in a conspicuous part of the
fort, a white flag. In an instant, as if by magic, the wild uproar
ceased, and the only sounds heard were the cheers of the seamen at their
speedily-gained victory.

The admirals at once proceeded on shore, when the governor and his
officers, coming out of the fort, presented their swords, which were
politely returned to them, when a French garrison was left in the fort.
Two generals and a large staff of officers thus became prisoners,
besides which a large number of guns, ammunition, and stores were
captured.

As the Government still held out, the fleet proceeded to the attack of
Oczakov, but, greatly to the disappointment of the allies, the Russians
evacuated it, and blew it up. This was almost the last action of any
consequence during the war; though the Mosquito fleet still continued
their depredations on the shores of the Sea of Azov till the winter
compelled them to retire, when, before the return of spring, peace with
Russia was concluded.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

ADAIR ACQUITTED FOR LOSS OF FLASH--APPOINTED TO GLEAM--THE TORNADO IN
THE BOSPHORUS--ARRIVAL OF HERR GROBEN--HIGSON OBTAINS LEAVE OF ABSENCE--
TOM ASKS FOR IT, AND IS SENT ON BOARD GLEAM--HIGSON PROMOTED--HIS
MARRIAGE WITH THE FAIR RUSSIAN--BALL ON BOARD THE TORNADO--THE GLEAM IN
A STORM--TOM AND ADAIR LOST OVERBOARD--DESMOND'S GRIEF--THE ADMIRAL'S
HOME--APPEARANCE OF THE MISSING ONES--JOY OF THE ADMIRAL--ADAIR NARRATES
THEIR ADVENTURES--JACK AND ADAIR MARRIED--GENEROSITY OF ADMIRAL TRITON.

Antecedent to the events mentioned in the last chapter, one of
consi