fterwards--when the wind cleared away the smoke from
the ships--men could be seen on their sloping roofs, directing
streams of water from the pumps upon small wreaths of smoke that
curled up, here and there. Up to this time, the defenders had begun
to fear that the craft were indeed as invulnerable as the Spaniards
believed them to be; but these evidences that the red hot shot were
doing their work greatly roused their spirits, and cheers
frequently rose, as the men toiled at their heavy guns.

As the afternoon went on, the smoke from the upper part of the
Spanish admiral's flagship rose more and more thickly and, although
numbers of men continued to bring up and throw water over the
roof--working with extraordinary bravery, in spite of the hail of
projectiles poured upon them--it was clear that the fire was making
steady progress.

Bob had, long before this, gone down to the works by the sea
face--where considerable bodies of troops were lying, in the
bombproof casemates, in readiness for action if called upon--and
from time to time he went out with Captain O'Halloran, and other
officers, to see how matters were going on.

In sheltered places behind the batteries, some of the surgeons were
at work; temporarily binding up the wounds of artillerymen struck
with shell, or splinters; after which they were carried, by
stretcher parties of the infantry, up to the hospitals. Dr. Burke
was thus engaged, in the battery where his regiment was stationed.
He had, since the first bombardment commenced, ceased to complain
of the want of opportunities for exercising himself in his
professional work; and had been indefatigable in his attendance on
the wounded. Among them he was an immense favourite. He had a word,
and a joke, for every man who came under his hands; while his
confident manner and cheery talk kept up the spirits of the men. He
was, too, a very skilful operator; and many of the poor fellows in
hospital had urgently requested that, if they must lose a limb, it
should be under the hands of Dr. Burke.

"It is much better to make men laugh, than to make them cry," he
would say to Bob. "It is half the battle gained, when you can keep
up a patient's spirit. It is wonderful how some of them stand pain.
The hard work they have been doing is all in their favour."

Bob several times went out to him, and assisted him as far as he
could, by handing him bandages, sponges, etc.

"You ought to have been an assistant, from the b