aim that few missed, some
of the shots striking her hull, others her rigging. In spite of it,
however, the Spaniards managed to get a spring on their cable and to
open fire with the whole of their broadside.

"They will not hurt us if they can't take better aim than that,"
observed Gerald to Nat Kiddle, as the greater number of the enemy's shot
flew either on one side or the other of the fort, or buried themselves
in the bank below it.

As twelve of the corvette's guns had been brought over to the west side
of the fort, they were not much inferior in number to those the Spanish
frigate could fire in return; while they were much better served, the
English crew firing two guns to the Spaniard's one. Their shot soon
began to tell with terrible effect on the enemy; several were seen to go
through her bulwarks, while her rigging was much cut up.

The action had continued for nearly an hour, and during all that time
not a single person in the fort had been hit. At length the Spaniard
appeared to have had enough of it. Her boats were observed ahead, as if
about to tow her off the shore. Her cable was cut, and she was seen
steering for a passage which the master had lately discovered between
the reefs to the north-west.

"She must put her best foot foremost, if she expects to get to sea
before the wind which will come out of yonder black cloud catches her,"
he observed. "Should it hold as it does now she may do it, but if it
shifts to the northward or westward she will go ashore as sure as my
name is Billhook."

As soon as the frigate's head had come round, her topsails were let fall
and sheeted home, and she quickly glided out of the range of the
_Champion's_ guns. The British crew cheered lustily as they saw the
defeat of their enemy.

"We must not be too sure that she will not come back again," observed
Mr Tarwig. "The Spaniards do not like the look of the weather; when
the squall blows over, they will probably pay us another visit."

"It is a chance if they will be able to do so," observed the master.
"See! here comes the wind sooner than I expected. If they can manage to
get out between the reefs, they are better navigators than I take them
for," he added, as he eagerly watched the retreating enemy.

The wind continued for some time blowing from the same direction as
before, enabling the frigate to thread her way between the rocks on
either hand. A blast at length reached her. Over she heeled. There
w