Upwards burst the flames with terrific fury, literally scorching them
as they ran along the deck to jump into the boats. Abel Bush caught
True Blue, or he would have been overboard.

"Bravo, boy!" cried Abel; "you've done it well."

"Yes, we've done it; but where's the Captain?" asked True Blue, about to
spring back to look for him.

Just then the Captain appeared, with his clothes almost burnt off his
back. The flames of the burning ships, the storehouses and magazines,
now clearly exposed to the view of the exasperated Republicans those who
were engaged in the work of destruction, and showers of shot and shell
soon came rattling down among them. Still the gallant seamen persevered
in the work they had undertaken, when suddenly the very air seemed to be
rent in two; the masts, rigging, and deck of the _Iris_ rose upwards in
a mass of flame, shattering two gunboats which happened to be close to
her, and scattering her burning fragments far and wide around her among
the boats. The brave fellows in the latter, heedless of the danger,
dashed on to assist the crews of the gunboats. Several people in one
had been killed; but the whole crew of the other, though she had been
blown into the air, were picked up alive.

"That is the ship the lazy Spaniards undertook to scuttle!" exclaimed
Mr Alston after they had picked up all the poor fellows they could
find. "However, bear a hand; we have plenty of work before us. There
are two seventy-fours. We must destroy them by some means or other."

When, however, they reached the seventy-fours, they found them full of
French prisoners, who seemed inclined to protect them.

"Very well, gentlemen," shouted Sir Sydney; "it will be a painful
necessity to have to burn you in the ships!"

The hint was taken, and the prisoners thankfully allowed themselves to
be conveyed to the nearest point of land.

The British ran no little risk in this undertaking, for the French far
outnumbered them; but no attempt at rising was made; and now the two
ships, _Heros_ and _Themistocle_, being cleared of their occupants, were
set on fire in every direction, and were soon blazing up brightly.

In every direction similar large bonfires were lighting up the harbour
and shores of Toulon, among which the British boats were incessantly
plying, carrying off the remaining troops and rescuing the terrified
inhabitants.

At length the work of destruction, as far as means would allow, was
well-nigh ac