y. Three of the _Terrible's_ officers accompanied
their Captain; the rest were distributed among the vacancies in the
fleet. There floated the old _Terrible_, with her well-riddled and torn
sails furled, but her pendant, and ensign, and Union-Jack still flying
at her peak and mastheads. She was deserted. The lieutenants, with the
master-at-arms and the quartermasters, had gone round her decks to
assure themselves that no human being remained in her. The shot, too,
had been withdrawn from all the guns; and such things belonging to her
as could be more easily removed had been carried away. Now the four
lieutenants in as many boats returned. Accompanied by picked men, they
went to different parts of the ship. As they walked along her silent
decks, the groans and sighs which rose from below made their hearts feel
sad. They descended to different parts of the hold, and, each
collecting such combustible materials as they could find, set fire to
them and hastily retreated. Once more they returned to the boats and
pulled away for the _Fame_. Night was coming rapidly on. Scarcely had
they reached the deck of the _Fame_ before flames burst forth from every
part of the _Terrible_, Brighter and fiercer they grew. Now they found
their way through the hatchways and climbed up the masts and rigging;
they twisted and turned along the bowsprit and out to the taffrail.
Still by their glare could be seen the victorious flag of England waving
proudly in the breeze.

Now, fore and aft, the old _Terrible_ was one mass of flame,--a huge
pyramid of fire,--which shed a lurid glare on the clouds above, on the
surrounding water, and on the white sails and dark hulls of the ships.
Suddenly there was a concussion which shook the very atmosphere, and
made the ships roll and shiver as if struck with an ague. Now up in one
mass of fire rose the upper deck, and masts, and spars, high into the
air, where for an instant they hung suspended, and then, bursting into
millions of burning fragments, down they came, scattered far and wide,
hissing into the ocean. Here and there, for a few minutes, some shining
flames could be seen scattered about; but they quickly disappeared, the
hull itself sank, and now but a very few charred fragments remained of
the fine old _Terrible_. A groan burst from the bosoms of the gallant
tars who had lately manned her, joined in equally by her Captain; and
Billy True Blue, breaking into a flood of tears, was carri