e fired. Mr Simple, the schooner has
headway, and there's a strong breeze coming up."

Again we discharged our ten muskets into the boat, but this time we
waited until the bowman had hooked on the planeshear with his boat-hook,
and our fire was very effective. I was surprised to find that the other
boat was not on board of us: but a light breeze had come up, and the
schooner glided through the water. Still she was close under our
counter, and would have been aboard in a minute.

In the meantime, the Spaniards who were in the first boat were climbing
up the side, and were repulsed by my men with great success. The breeze
freshened, and Swinburne ran to the helm. I perceived the schooner was
going fast through the water, and the second boat could hardly hold her
own. I ran to where the boat-hook was fixed on the planeshear, and
unhooked it; the boat fell astern, leaving two Spaniards clinging to the
side, who were cut down, and they fell into the water.

"Hurrah! all safe!" cried Swinburne; "and now to punish them."

The schooner was now darting along at the rate of five miles, with an
increasing breeze. We stood in for two minutes, then tacked, and ran
for the boats. Swinburne steered, and I continued standing in the bows,
surrounded by the rest of the men. "Starboard a little, Swinburne."

"Starboard it is."

"Steady--steady: I see the first boat, she is close under our bows.
Steady--port--port--port a little--port. Look out, my lads, and cut
down all who climb up."

Crash went the schooner on to the boat, the men in her in vain
endeavouring to escape us. For a second or two she appeared to right,
until her further gunwale was borne down under the water; she turned up,
and the schooner went over her, sending every soul in her to their
account. One man clung on to a rope, and was towed for a few seconds,
but a cutlass divided the rope at the gunwale, and with a faint shriek
he disappeared. The other boat was close to us, and perceived what had
been done. They remained with their oars poised, all ready to pull so
as to evade the schooner. We steered for her, and the schooner was now
running at the rate of seven miles an hour. When close under our bows,
by very dexterously pulling short round with their starboard oars, we
only struck her with our bow; and before she went down many of the
Spaniards had gained the deck, or were clinging to the side of the
vessel. They fought with desperation, but we w