ized at Abervrach harbour. Unlike the French battery, however, all
the casemates were open, with the exception of four, two of which were
converted into the officers' quarters, while the other two constituted
the magazine; and in the shelter of these open casemates the
artillerymen were slumbering soundly in hammocks, despite the storm,
with their muskets piled under the shelter of a verandah that ran all
along the front of the casemates. To possess ourselves of these
muskets, and to heave them into the moat was the work of but a few
minutes; and when this was done I went up on to the platform, and with
my own hands effectually spiked every one of the guns. It was a most
unaccountable thing to me that the whole garrison should have slept so
soundly through the terrific crash and roar of the thunder, and the
blaze of the lightning; but they did, perhaps because they were
accustomed to that kind of disturbance; and as the thunder was
practically continuous, I had no difficulty in carrying out my
operations without a single clink of the leather-covered hammer being
audible.

The battery was now useless for some hours at least; and, since we had
been so fortunate as to render it so without any of the garrison
becoming any the wiser, I thought it would be an advantage to leave them
in ignorance for a few hours longer, I therefore quietly withdrew my
men, and, taking the two gagged and bound sentinels with us, effected an
orderly retreat to the beach.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

THE CAPTURE OF NOSTRA SENORA DEL CARMEN.

Arrived at the boats, we lost not a moment in tumbling into them and
getting under way again, for time was now a precious commodity, there
being still a journey of some four miles before us ere the galleon could
be reached. But, once fairly clear of the Boca, or channel, we should
be able to use our sails, which I had taken the precaution to have
placed in the boats, and then we should make good progress, while the
men would be resting.

The first question for consideration, however, was what to do with our
two prisoners. This was speedily settled by Hoard, who suggested that
they should be landed upon a small islet, called Brujas Island, situate
on the opposite side of the harbour, and lying but little out of our
regular way. This we did, of course first casting them loose and taking
the gags out of their mouths; but although they were thus freed from
actual physical restraint they remained as harm