were during the darkness of the
night. The conflagration of the stores, warehouses, and ships, the
explosion of powder magazines and powder vessels--the latter being _set
on fire_ by our lubberly allies, the Spaniards, instead of being
scuttled, as had been arranged--and the incessant flash of the cannon
and musketry--a hot conflict raging all the while between the British
and the Republican forces--could not fail of being an awfully impressive
sight; and such it had evidently proved to our informants, who described
the various scenes which they had witnessed on that memorable night with
a very considerable amount of graphic power.

So interested were we all, for the moment, in this narration, that every
one appeared to have completely forgotten our excessively unpleasant
position, until it was recalled to our minds by an exclamation from our
third lieutenant, the Honourable Edward Plantagenet Mortimer.

"Aw--excuse my intewupting this extwemely intewesting er--ah--
conversation," said he, in his usual dandified style, "but I should like
to diwect your attention, Captain Hood, to the--ah--important fact
that--ah--_the wind has changed_, and, if I may be allowed to expwess an
opinion, I would say that if we could get the canvas upon the ship, I
believe _we could fetch out of the harbour again_."

The effect was electrical. The remark suggested such readiness of
resource, such consummate seamanship, and such dashing courage on the
part of the speaker, that, had it been uttered by Mr Annesley even, we
should probably have been somewhat surprised; but emanating from the
source it did, our astonishment simply beggars description. There was a
dead silence for a moment, while we were ruminating upon and digesting
the possibilities involved in the suggestion, and then, as it became
apparent that a bold dash for freedom was still in our power, a ringing
cheer burst out, fore and aft.

In an instant the skipper was himself again. "Silence, fore and aft!"
he exclaimed; "every sound you utter now may cost a man's life. To your
stations, men, and let every order be executed with the rapidity and--
ah--silence of thought. Mr Annesley, make sail, if you please.
Gentlemen,"--to the Frenchmen--"you will wegwet to learn that you have
made a slight--ah--mistake. Instead of our _being your_ prisoners, you
are _ours_. And--er--as your countwymen, with their chawactewistic
politeness, may possibly salute us as we pass the battewie