eginning, Bob," he
said. "By this time you would have been quite a decent surgeon--only
you have a silly way of turning pale. There, hand me that bandage.

"All right, my man! We will have you patched up in no time.

"No, I don't think you can go back to your gun again. You will have
to eat and drink a bit, and make fresh blood, before you will be
much use at a thirty-two pounder again.

"What is this--a scalp wound? Splinter of a shell, eh? Well, it is
lucky for you, lad, that you have been hardening your skull a bit,
before you enlisted. A few clips from a blackthorn are capital
preparation. I don't think you will come to much harm. You are not
more hurt than you would be in a good, lively faction fight.

"There, you had better put down that sponge, Bob, and go into the
casemate, for a bit. You are getting white again.

"I think we are over the worst now; for if, as you tell me, the
smoke is beginning to come up from some of those floating
batteries, their fire will soon slacken a bit. As long as they keep
out the shot, those defences of theirs are first rate but, as soon
as the shot begin to embed themselves in the roof, they are worse
than nothing--for they can neither dig out the shot, nor get at
them with the water. Once establish a fire, and it is pretty sure
to spread."

Bob was glad to get back again into the bombproof casemates; for
there was comparative quiet while, outside, the constant roar of
the guns, the howl of shot, the explosion of shell, and the crash
of masonry created a din that was almost bewildering.

Presently a cheer was heard in the battery, and Bob went out to see
what it was; and returned with the news that the ship next to the
Spanish admiral's was also smoking, in several places. As the
afternoon went on, confusion was apparent on board several of the
battering ships and, by the evening, their fire had slackened
considerably. Before eight o'clock it had almost entirely ceased,
except from one or two ships to the northward of the line which,
being somewhat farther from the shore, had suffered less than the
others.

At sunset the Artillery in our batteries were relieved--the Naval
Brigade taking their place--and the fire was continued, without
relaxation. As soon as it became dark, rockets were fired by
several of the battering ships. These were answered by the Spanish
men-of-war, and many boats rowed across to the floating batteries.
By ten o'clock the flames began to burst out f