ottoms of the boats. Not a one
was landed on shore, although it appeared that Morgan was preparing to
attack the castle from the land side.

All day long the boats plied back and forth, apparently leaving men and
returning empty to the ships. Expecting a heavy assault, the Spaniards
moved their best guns and a greater part of their garrison to that side
of the castle which faced the land, and thus left the water side
comparatively harmless.

As soon as night came on, the pirates weighed anchor, and by the light
of the moon, without setting their sails, they glided slowly out with
the ebbing tide, which brought them down almost in sight of the castle.
They then spread their sails as quietly and with as great haste as
possible. The Spaniards saw them and opened fire, hastily moving their
guns back to the water side; but a favorable wind blew the vessels past
the danger point before the men in the castle could put their guns into
position to do any great damage.

When Morgan was safely out of reach of the guns of the castle, he gave
his prisoners a boat and sent them ashore, retaining, however, the
hostages which he had demanded from the city of Gibraltar, because that
place had not yet paid its ransom. Just as he was sailing away, Morgan
fired seven great shells against the castle as a farewell message, but
the Spaniards did not reply even with so much as a musket shot.

The day after their departure, the buccaneers were overtaken by a
terrible tempest which forced them at first to cast anchor, but as the
wind increased in force they were compelled to draw their anchor and to
put out to sea. Here they were indeed in great danger, for if they were
cast on shore, they certainly would receive no mercy from either the
Spaniards or the Indians. Once more, however, fortune smiled on Captain
Morgan, and after a day or two the wind ceased and the buccaneers went
on their way rejoicing.

[Illustration]

BRADDOCK'S DEFEAT

_By_ BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

NOTE.--When it became evident that the conflicting land-claims of the
French and English in America would admit of no peaceable settlement, a
convention of representatives from the colonies was called to consider a
union of the colonies and to find ways of establishing friendly
relations with the Indians, especially with the redoubtable Five
Nations. This convention met at Albany in 1754, and adopted a plan of
union which had been drawn up by Franklin. However, the plan,