f it all; "let 'em swallow
lead, the vultures. I'd sink 'em with one shot if it wasn't for their
oil; but they ain't alone!"

It was true. I, who had not ceased to watch that distant light which
marked another warship on the horizon, knew that a second light had
shone out as a star away over the sea; and now, when I looked again at
his words, I saw a third light, but I had no courage to tell him of it.
Indeed, we were being surrounded, and the danger was the greater for
every minute of delay. The cruiser, although she suffered so grievously
from the storm of lead which we rained upon her, had not hurled down
her flag, and still replied to our fire, but more feebly. And the
search-lights of the distant ships were clearer to my view every
moment, so that I watched them alone at the last; and Black saw them,
and took a sight from the glass. Then for the first time his cigar fell
from his lips, and he muttered an exclamation which might have been one
of fear.

"Boy," he said, "you should have told me of this. I see three lights,
and that means a fleet of the devils to come. Well, I'll risk it, as
I've risked it before. If I can stop 'em now with a shot, the game's
ours; if she sinks, they trump us."

He gave a long order in careful words down through the tube to the
turret; and, coming up to position, we fired at the cruiser for the
last time, hitting her low down in the very centre of her engine-room.
A great volume of steam gushed up from her deck, with clouds of smoke
and fire; and as all shooting from her small arms ceased, we went out
to the gallery, and the boats were cast free. A minute after, the
ensign of the other was lowered, and we had beaten her.

"You, 'Four-Eyes,' take the launch, and get her oil," Black sang out at
the sight; "you'll have five hands, that's all you want. Go sharp, if
you'd save your skins!"

I stood on the gallery, and watched the passage of the small boat,
which was at the side of the maimed cruiser almost in a moment. There
was no longer any resistance to our men, for the hands of the other
ship had too much work of their own to do. I saw some running quickly
to the aft boats, while some were bearing wounded from below, and
others stood beneath the bridge taking orders from a very young
officer, who had no colleagues in the work. Not that there was any
confusion, only that awful crying of strong men in their agony, of the
dying who feel death's hand upon them, of the wounded who had