tion they will soon be
obliged to give up the struggle. To make a long story short, you, Senor
Douglas, are the man whom I have selected to perform this difficult,
arduous, and decidedly dangerous task. We have recently purchased a
steamer, which we have armed so powerfully that she is to all intents
and purposes a cruiser, and you will be given the command of her. Your
task is, as I have just explained, to hunt down and destroy the _Union_,
and if possible to capture the gun-running steamers which she has been
sent to convoy. This new cruiser of ours has been named the _Angamos_,
in honour of our recent victory; and I shall look confidently to you to
uphold the honour of her name. She is quite ready to sail, and you must
commission her to-morrow, and sail the same day. It is a very important
service for so young a man as yourself, but from what I have already
seen of you I am confident of your ability to bring your task to a
successful termination. That is all, I think, that I have to say to
you, Senor Douglas, except that, should you wish to do so, you have my
permission to number your friend, the young engineer, among your crew.
Now, good day, young sir, and the best of good luck to you."

Jim saluted in silence, feeling rather at a loss to know what to say by
way of thanks, and marched out of the cabin, "as proud as a dog with two
tails." He had never anticipated anything like this when he entered the
Chilian service, and the news seemed almost too good to be true. Yet he
speedily pulled himself together and hurried off to find his friend
O'Meara, whom he came across in his cabin, smoking, and to whom he
promptly imparted the joyful news. And half an hour later the two lads
had packed up their slender stock of baggage and were quite ready for
their new adventure. Bearing in mind the admiral's order that he should
lose no time in getting his new command ready for sea Jim, accompanied
by his chum, went the rounds of the flagship, saying good-bye to their
numerous friends, who betrayed no little curiosity as to the reason of
the Englishmen's somewhat sudden departure. But Jim thought it best to
keep his own counsel, and only enlightened the Chilians so far as to say
that his friend and he had been selected for a special service, the
nature of which he was not at liberty to disclose.

A shore-boat was then signalled for, and upon her arrival alongside the
two lads got into her and had themselves and their ba