.
"Secure them as quickly as possible, and look to the magazines."

The decks, as the British seamen clambered up the side, presented a
fearful spectacle, covered as they were with dead and wounded, many
dying without any attempt having been made to render them assistance.
The rigging hung in festoons, the canvas shot through and through, yards
and blocks scattered about the deck.

"Where is your captain?" asked Roger.

"We have no captain; he was killed early in the action," answered one of
the men.

"And your officers?"

"They are all killed. We fought as long as one remained alive."

As several bodies looked like those of officers, Roger thought that this
was probably the case. He and his companions, however, had first to
obey the Captain's orders and to secure the crew. They sulkily
submitted to have their arms lashed behind them, and were ordered, as
soon as this operation was performed, to stand on one side of the deck
under charge of four of the seamen with loaded muskets, while Roger and
Kemp took one party of their men forward to search for any of the crew
who might have concealed themselves. Bates conducted another down below
in the afterpart of the ship. He had just reached the Captain's cabin
when he detected a smell of brimstone. He rushed towards the spot from
whence it proceeded, and discovered a slow match leading towards the
principal magazine. Some of his men showed an inclination to rush up on
deck.

"Come back, cowards!" he exclaimed. "We must put this out;" and,
dashing forward, he cut the match for some way before the part which was
burning, upon which setting his foot, he quickly stamped it out, crying
to his men at the same time to cut the other end. It evidently had been
a long time burning, and was probably ignited by one of the officers
since killed. Ordering some buckets of water to be brought below, he
searched round in the neighbourhood of the other magazine. An attempt
had evidently been made to fire this one also, but the match had
providentially gone out. The victors and vanquished would otherwise
probably have been blown up together. Several pirates were discovered
concealed in the after part of the ship. Roger did his best to
ascertain if any of them were officers, but without success. As the
pirate's boats were knocked to pieces, Captain Benbow made a signal that
one of the _Ruby's_ should remain on board, while the other returned
with as many prisoners as they