in among the astonished Spaniards, who with
crowbars had just succeeded in breaking open the door of the magazine.
One man grasped a pistol ready to fire into it. Paul, who felt his
spirits raised to the highest pitch, and ready to dare and do any deed,
however desperate, sprang into the midst of the group and struck up the
Spaniard's arm, the pistol going off and the bullet lodging in the deck
above. Several of the others were cut down by Devereux and his men, and
the rest, strange as it may seem, fell on their knees and begged for
quarter; though an instant before they were preparing to send themselves
and their foes suddenly into eternity.

"Quarter! Pretty sort of quarter you deserve, ye blackguards, for
wishing to blow up the ship after all the trouble we've had to take
her," cried Reuben, giving one of the Spaniards, who still stood at the
door of the magazine, a kick which lifted him half-way up the ladder
leading to the deck above.

All opposition after this ceased below, but there was work enough to
secure the prisoners and prevent them from making any similar attempt to
that which had just been so happily frustrated. The hands on deck were
meantime employed in making sail with all speed; and good reason had
they for so doing, for the shot from a hundred guns were flying above
and around them, some crashing on board and others going through the
sails and cutting the running and standing rigging; but in spite of the
iron shower not a man aloft shrank from his duty. As soon as a brace
was cut, or a shroud severed, eager hands were ready to repair the
damage. The gallant captain, though bleeding from more than one wound,
stood by the mizen shrouds conning the ship, and not till she was clear
of the harbour and no shot came near her did he relinquish his post.

The triumphant moment was, however, when the two frigates neared each
other, and the victors shouted out, "We have got her--we have got her,
without the loss of a man, though we have some pretty severe scratches
among us. Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!"

Loud and hearty were the cheers; but there was too little time for
making speeches. Most of the prisoners were removed to the _Cerberus_.
A prize-crew, under the command of the second lieutenant, was put on
board the re-captured frigate, and a course was immediately shaped for
Jamaica. When Paul at length was able to turn into his hammock he felt
very low-spirited. Not a word had been said of anything