ould not see a bit of
blue sky in the prospect.

"It's retreatin' we ought to be!" cried the Irishman.

"And have them attack our ship?"

"Faith, it's there I want to lure the spalpeens; we'd have an aisy mark
on the Nashville. Shure, sir," asked Dan in an injured tone, "it wasn't
afraid you thought I was?"

"No, no, Dan."

"Begorra, an' it's betther I feel. But where's Young Glory?"

"Young Glory! why, he's gone!"

"Gone!"

Yes, that was the fact. Young Glory had deserted in the thick of the
fight, and a blank look of despair came over every face when they saw
what had happened.

"Deserted! shown the white feather!" muttered Lieutenant Tyler. "I
couldn't have believed it of Young Glory."

"An' shure, if ye did, sir, ye'd be decavin' yourself," said Dan, hotly,
sticking up for his chum through thick and thin.

"But he's gone!" was the cry.

"Begorra! P'haps the poor lad's hurt. Faith, it's a Spanish bullet he
may have in him, worse luck. Fear and Young Glory can't be coupled
together, me lads. It's Dan Daly tells you so, an' it's himself that
knows."

"They're forming for the attack, my men."

"Yes, sir."

"Stand firm, lads."

"We will die where we stand."

"Hurrah!"

"That's the way to talk."

The men, desperate though their situation was, were as defiant as ever.
The blue jacket who proposed making terms with the enemy would have had
a very hot time. But to the credit of these sailors, it may be said,
that they were all heroes, and not a man amongst them knew what fear
meant.

Cutlass in hand, sternly they stood facing the foe.

"No quarter!" cried a Spanish officer. "We have offered it once, and
they replied with a broadside. Forward to the attack for your king and
country!"

Roused to a pitch of frenzy by this address, the Spaniards waved their
swords in the air. Then, in a close column, they thundered along the
deck to where the small, but devoted band of American blue jackets
awaited the attack.

CHAPTER XI.

YOUNG GLORY TO THE RESCUE--A SURPRISE FOR THE
BROOKLYN.

Lieutenant Tyler glanced round involuntarily. It was like a man taking
his last look at the earth.

The lieutenant was as brave as a lion, but he saw only one issue to the
fight.

"Would that Young Glory were here!" he cried. "He's equal to twenty
men!"

Then the two forces closed in a fierce fight.

Back the Americans retreated. Well they might do so.

The enemy was more than four to one, and the we