inently knocked down, and tumbled all his men
with him as he fell back into the boat. They then tried the starboard
of the _Hermione_, and were again beaten back, and only succeeded on a
third attempt.

Three boats' crews of the British were now together on the deck of the
Hermione. They did not number fifty men in all, but the marines were
instantly formed up and a volley was fired down the after hatchway.
Then, following the flash of their muskets, with the captain leading,
the whole party leaped down upon the maindeck, driving the Spaniards
before them. Some sixty Spaniards took refuge in the cabin, and
shouted they surrendered, whereupon they were ordered to throw down
their arms, and the doors were locked upon them, turning them into
prisoners. On the main-deck and under the forecastle, however, the
fighting was fierce and deadly; but by this time the other boats had
come up, and the cables fore and aft were cut, as had been arranged.
The men detailed for that task had raced up the Spaniard's rigging, and
while the desperate fight raged below, had cast loose the topsails of
the _Hermione_. Three of the boats, too, had taken her in tow. She
began to move seaward, and that movement, with the sound of the
rippling water along the ship's sides, appalled the Spaniards, and
persuaded them the ship was lost.

On the quarter-deck the gunner and two men--all three wounded--stood at
the wheel, and flung the head of the _Hermione_ seaward. They were
fiercely attacked, but while one man clung to the wheel and kept
control of the ship, the gunner and his mate kept off the Spaniards.
Presently the foretopsail filled with the land breeze, the water
rippled louder along the sides of the moving vessel, the ship swayed to
the wind. The batteries by this time were thundering from the shore,
but though they shot away many ropes, they fired with signal
ill-success. Only fifty British sailors and marines, it must be
remembered, were actually on the deck of the _Hermione_, and amongst
the crowd of sullen and exasperated Spaniards below, who had
surrendered, but were still furious with the astonishment of the attack
and the passion of the fight, there arose a shout to "blow up the
ship." The British had to fire down through the hatchway upon the
swaying crowd to enforce order. By two o'clock the struggle was over,
the _Hermione_ was beyond the fire of the batteries, and the crews of
the boats towing her came on board.

Ther