se poor wretches," corrected Poole gravely, and looking as
solemn as he could. Then reading his companion's horror in his face, he
continued cheerily, "Nonsense, old chap! You couldn't have killed
anybody with those cartridges of swan-shot unless they were close at
hand."

"Ah!" gasped Fitz. "And I don't really think--"

"Oh, but you did. It was in the excitement. Every one about you was
firing, and you did the same. It would have been rather curious if you
had not. Oh, here's my governor coming along with Chips."

"I say," began Fitz excitedly.

"All right; I wasn't going to; but slip in two more cartridges and close
the breech."

This was quickly done, and the skipper came up, talking to the carpenter
the while.

"Yes, my lad," he was saying, "I'd give something if you had a hammer
and a bag of spikes to strengthen all the wood-work here.--Well, Poole,"
he continued, "Don Ramon is in ecstasies. He says this is his first
success, and I believe that if I were not here he'd go round and embrace
all the lads.--But about those poor wretches lying out there. I'm not
an unfeeling brute, my lads," he continued, taking in Fitz with a glance
the while, "but all I can do I have done."

"But there are those two men moving out there, sir, that you can't have
seen," cried Fitz imploringly, "and it seems so horrid--"

"Yes, my lad; war is horrid," said the skipper. "I saw them when they
first went down, and"--he added to himself--"I am afraid I was
answerable for one. But, as I was saying, I have done all I could, and
that is, insisted upon Don Ramon ordering his men to leave them alone
and not fire at every poor wretch who shows a sign of life."

"But," began Fitz, "Poole and I wouldn't mind going out and carrying
them under shelter, one at a time."

"No, my lad," said the skipper, smiling sadly, "I know you would not;
but I should, and very much indeed. You have both got mothers, and what
would they say to me for letting two brave lads go to certain death?"

"Oh, but surely, sir," cried Fitz, "the enemy would not--"

"Those worthy of the name of enemy, my boy, certainly would not; but
those fighting against us are most of them the bloodthirsty scum of a
half-savage tropical city, let loose for a riot of murder, plunder, and
destruction. Why, my dear boy, the moment you and Poole got outside the
shelter of these walls, a hundred rifles would be aimed at you, with
their owners burning to take revenge for t