ht
was filled with the noise of roaring cannon and exploding shell.

Lacy's had been a gallant and heroic attempt. It had succeeded as to
the blowing up of a Federal warship, but it had failed otherwise. By a
singular freak of fortune the blow had not fallen upon the vessel for
which it had been intended. After dark the fine new sloop-of-war
_Housatonic_ had replaced the _Wabash_ off the Main Ship Channel, and
she had suffered instead of the flagship.

Although when day broke she was sought for again, nothing more was seen
of the _David_. At least not then. With the explosion of the torpedo
she had vanished from the face of the waters. For a long time General
Beauregard and the people in Charleston waited for tidings of her, but
it was not until the war was over and the _Housatonic_ was raised that
the mystery was solved. They found the torpedo boat with her nose
pointed toward the hole she had torn in the side of the ship, about a
hundred feet away from the wrecked sloop-of-war. She had been riddled
with bullets and shattered by the explosion of her own torpedo. She
was, of course, filled with water, and in her, at their stations, they
found the bodies of her devoted crew, Lacy with his hand on the wheel.

Nothing in life had so become Lacy as the ending of it. It is a proverb
that the good men do lies buried with them, the evil is long
remembered. It was not so in his case, at any rate, for men forgot
everything but the dauntless heroism with which he had laid down his
life for his country, and assured his fame.

And, after all, he was not to be pitied for that he died the death of
his choice.

CHAPTER IX

MISERABLE PAIR AND MISERABLE NIGHT

Sempland's mind was in a fearful turmoil. It had all come so suddenly
and unexpectedly upon him that as yet he hardly realized the gravity of
his situation, although it could scarcely be worse. He was under arrest
and in confinement, facing such serious charges as neglect of duty,
disobedience of orders, treason, cowardice! As to these last, he was so
conscious of his loyalty and intrepidity that they did not worry him so
much as they might have done. The other things were bad enough, but
surely, surely, no one could ever believe him either a traitor or a
coward!

His mind did not dwell on his own situation as it might have done,
either, if it had not been for Fanny Glen. Instinctively he had stepped
forward to gather her in his arms when she fainted before him o