rwards be obliged to load
with loose powder, by which some fatal accident is sure to occur. He's
a brave fellow, but a rash one!"

He had scarcely spoken, when a broadside rang out. Simultaneously,
with the discharge of the guns, a pillar of smoke and flame shot high
into the air.

"Good Heavens, the _Duke_ has blown up!" cried Captain Walker. "Dottin
and his brave followers have found a watery grave!"

"It is merely the smoke of a broadside," one of the officers
interrupted.

"No! No!" answered Walker, dejectedly. "It's the last that will ever
be seen of noble Dottin and his men!"

The smoke now cleared away and no ship was to be seen upon the surface
of the water. The _Glorioso_ was still-belching both smoke and flame,
and near her were three sails, indistinctly seen through a haze of
smoke and fog. Could it not have been the _Duke_, after all? "Vain
thought," cried bold Walker, aloud. "Our bravest and best ship has
gone to the bottom."

This terrible incident had such an effect upon the seamen of the _King
George_ that Captain Walker called the officers aside into the
companionway, and there made them a speech.

"My brave men," said he, "you must keep up an air of cheerfulness
before these fellows of ours, for, otherwise they will be backward in
fighting, and will not have the courage which we desire. Go among them
and show no sign that you are lacking in pleasantry."

As he ceased speaking there was a series of sudden explosions, mingled
with cries of alarm.

"Gad zooks! What's happened!" cried all, rushing to the deck.

They found matters in a sorry state, for the crew was in a panic; some
clinging outside the ship; some climbing out upon the bowsprit, all
ready to jump overboard should the vessel blow up.

Captain Walker was astonished. "Why, men!" said he. "What means this
confusion?"

It was easily explained, for the alarm had been caused by a seaman who
stepped upon a number of loaded muskets, which had been covered by a
sail. One was fired off accidentally, and this exploded some spare
ammunition, set the sail on fire, and completely demoralized the crew;
who still were thinking of the sad tragedy which they had just
witnessed. Order was quickly restored, the blazing sail was torn down
and bucketed, and the terrified sailors came back to their posts. When
men have their nerves shattered, it is easy to startle them.

But how about the _Glorioso_?

The fair-fighting Spaniard was far out of sig