of
the cannon, told that she had been sighted by the foe. The anxious
watchers paced their decks with bated breath. Though no enemy was near
to hear them, they spoke in whispers. The shadow of a great awe, the
weight of some great calamity, seemed crushing them.

"What was that?"

All started at the abrupt exclamation. Through the haze a glimmering
light had been seen to move rapidly along the surface of the water, as
though a lantern were being carried along a deck. Suddenly it
disappeared, as though dropped down a hatchway. A few seconds
passed,--seconds that seemed like hours. Then there shot up into the
sky a dazzling jet of fire. A roar like that of a huge volcano shook
earth and sea. The vessels trembled at their moorings. The concussion
of the air threw men upon the decks. Then the mast of the ketch, with
its sail blazing, was seen to rise straight into the air, and fall
back. Bombs with burning fuses flew in every direction. The distant
sound of heavy bodies falling into the water and on the rocks was
heard. Then all was still. Even the Tripolitan batteries were silent.

For a moment a great sorrow fell upon the Americans. Then came the
thought that Somers and his brave men might have left the ketch before
the explosion. All listened for approaching oars. Minutes lengthened
into hours, and still no sound was heard. Men hung from the sides of
the vessels, with their ears to the water, in the hopes of catching
the sound of the coming boats. But all was in vain. Day broke; the
shattered wreck of the "Intrepid" could be seen within the harbor, and
near it two injured Tripolitan gunboats. But of Somers and his brave
followers no trace could be seen, nor were they ever again beheld by
their companions.

To Capt. Bainbridge in his prison-cell came a Tripolitan officer,
several days later, asking him to go to a point of rocks, and view
some bodies thrown there by the waves. Thither Bainbridge went, and
was shown several bodies shockingly mutilated and burned. Though they
were doubtless the remains of some of the gallant adventurers, they
could not be identified.

The exact reason for this disaster can never be known. Many have
thought that Somers saw capture inevitable, and with his own hand
fired the fatal charge; others believed the explosion to be purely
accidental; while the last and most plausible theory is, that a shot
from the enemy's batteries penetrated the magazine, and ended the
career of the "Intrepi