ock and town of Gibraltar to the
mainland.

"Yes, Fairburn," the lieutenant replied, with a laugh, "my Lord Galway
foretold that you had work cut out for you. Here it is, I fancy, and
plenty of it."

It was a striking sight on which the two friends looked--for though
the one was but a private and the other a commissioned officer, yet by
this time Fieldsend and Fairburn had begun their life-long friendship.
Away in front of them towered the huge irregular mass called the Rock
of Gibraltar, or, more commonly, simply "the Rock," with the little
town clustered at its base and on its gentler slopes. To their right
was the indentation in the coast known as the Bay of Gibraltar, which
was protected by a long stone-built jetty, the Old Mole. From this
protection ran a stout sea defence called the Line Wall, with two or
three strong bastions. This wall ended at another projection, the New
Mole. But neither the Line Wall nor the New Mole was visible from the
spot where George and his superior stood. Filling all the narrow neck
of connecting ground were the allied forces just landed, five thousand
of them. Immediately in front stood the only outlet from the city on
its north side, the Land Point gate.

"I wish they would settle the thing, and either let us get to work or
else re-embark for home," George said, as he sat in what shade he
could find to defend himself against the fierce blaze of the sun.

"I am with you there, Fairburn," the lieutenant agreed, with a yawn.

The speakers were alluding to the answer that was expected at any
moment from the garrison within. A formal demand had been made to the
Governor for the surrender of the fortress to the Archduke Charles,
"the rightful King of Spain." This was on the twenty-first of July,
1704. The demand had been made on the part of the Allies by the Prince
of Hesse-Darmstadt, who was present with three Dutch admirals and
several Dutch ships. The English admirals concerned in the siege were,
besides Sir George Rooke, the chief of them, Byng, Sir Cloudesley
Shovel, and Leake. Many famous ships were in the Bay or rode off the
Rock, including Rooke's own vessel, the _Royal Catherine_, and
Shovel's still more famous _Barfleur_.

The day wore to its close, the guards were posted, and the men
prepared for rest. Then there came the long-expected answer from the
Marquis de Salinas, the Governor of the fortress. It was a stout and
dignified refusal. He and his men had sworn allegianc