ough. With
one hand free, he found himself able, with some difficulty, to release
the other; after which a few seconds were sufficient to enable him to
cast loose the lashings from his feet. He then stumbled and groped his
way up the steps, passing, as he did so, the mangled bodies of Lopes and
of Carlos, who had been literally blown to pieces. The house above was
a mere shapeless mass of wreckage, and Jim had little difficulty in
clambering over the debris into the street. As he emerged from the
wrecked building there was a rattling volley, and a shower of bullets
whistled past the young officer's head. His own men were firing at him,
under the impression that he was one of the enemy! He snatched a
handkerchief from his pocket and waved it, just in time to avoid being
riddled by a second discharge.

A moment later Douglas was shaking hands with his rescuers, who had so
nearly escaped being merely his avengers. It now appeared that the
coxswain of the launch, suspecting treachery, had followed Jim and his
guide to the house, outside which he had waited for some time in the
hope that he was mistaken, and that Jim would presently make his
appearance. But when an hour had passed, the man felt convinced that
something was wrong, and hurried back to the ship to report. Admiral
Williams had thereupon sent an ultimatum to the _intendente_ that,
unless Senor Douglas was returned to the _Blanco Encalada_ by daybreak,
he would bombard.

The unfortunate official, knowing nothing of the occurrence complained
of, had failed, of course, to produce the young man; and Rebolledo
Williams had carried out his threat, very nearly destroying the man whom
he wished to save in so doing. Under cover of the heavy gun-fire a
party of marines had been landed, and, under guidance of the coxswain,
had gone toward the house where Jim was known to be. The men, seeing
the place in ruins, naturally concluded that Jim was dead, and were on
the point of retreating when the lad put in an appearance among the
ruins.

Having happily accomplished their errand, the detachment now returned to
the ships, having to fight their way back through the streets in the
face of an almost overwhelming Peruvian force. But they won through
eventually, and regained their boats without great loss. That afternoon
Jim reported to the admiral, who thereupon determined to bombard in grim
earnest on the following morning. Needless to say Jim slept sounder
that n