ightning, and spirited them off before any of us saw what they
were about."

"Well, well, I am ready to believe that none of you could help it, and I
am sure, Snatchblock, that you would have risked your life to save the
youngsters," said Adair, his rising anger appeased. "They have
themselves alone to blame. We must now see what we can do to get them
back, for the gauchos will look upon them as prizes of too much value to
kill, and though they are savage enough, from all accounts, they are not
addicted to eating men or boys either."

"That's a comfort, at all events, for I couldn't tell what those wild
chaps might do with the young gentlemen," observed the honest sailor.
"If we might go off in chase, maybe we should come up with them before
long."

"Without cavalry we shall have no chance of overtaking the gauchos, and
I can only hope that they will not treat their prisoners ill. The lads
have their wits about them; if they have the chance, they will make
their escape," answered Adair.

"You may trust the young gentlemen for that, sir," said Snatchblock.
The recall being sounded, Adair with his party was compelled to rejoin
the main body; indeed, he saw too clearly that any attempt to rescue the
youngsters would be useless. The only task now to be accomplished by
the seamen and marines was to spike the guns and destroy the batteries,
which being quickly accomplished, they re-embarked.

The crews of the vessels which had been most severely treated had work
enough to do in stopping shot-holes and refitting the rigging, which had
been considerably cut up.

Adair on his return having to pass close to the _Supplejack_, went on
board to tell Rogers of the unfortunate loss of the two midshipmen, and
to offer him all the consolation he could.

"I would rather that anything had happened than that," exclaimed Jack.
"You don't suppose that the gauchos have killed the poor lads?"

Adair said he hoped from what he had heard that they had not injured
them, and probably supposed that they had made a valuable prize in a
couple of officers. They questioned Snatchblock further as to what he
knew of the affair.

"I would have given my right hand rather than have had the young
gentleman carried off, sir," he answered. "You see, sir, we did not
expect those horse-fellows would attack us on that side, and we were not
standing in shipshape fashion like the sodgers. Somehow or other also
the young gentlemen were where they s