r surrender!"

Both the schooners at once poured in their broadsides, doing immense
damage, and killing large numbers of the pirates. A few cannon were fired
in answer, but in such haste that they had no effect. When two more
broadsides had been fired into her, the cutter blew up with a tremendous
explosion which shook both vessels to the keel and threw many of the men
down. When the smoke cleared away the cutter had disappeared. Whether a
shot had reached her magazine, or whether she was blown up by her
desperate commander, was never known, as not a single survivor of the crew
was picked up.

When the work of loading was completed, and the storehouses had been
destroyed by fire, the two schooners sailed out, followed by the native
craft with the boats towing behind.

The victory had been won at very little cost. Only three men had been
killed and some seventeen wounded, while with the exception of some thirty
prisoners, for the most part wounded, the whole pirate force had been
annihilated.

The captain had already visited the scene, having rowed in as soon as he
had received news of the success of the expedition. In Lieutenant
Farrance's despatch several officers were noted for distinguished conduct.
Among these was Will Gilmore, to whom the lieutenant gave great credit for
the manner in which he had boarded the pirate, and by his sudden attack
upon the rear of the enemy converted what was a distinctly perilous
situation into a success.

"I tell you what it is, Gilmore," one of the midshipmen jestingly said,
"if you go on like this we shall send you to Coventry. It is unbearable
that you should always get to the front."

Great was the rejoicing among the merchants of Port Royal when the
_Furious_ returned with her two prizes and it became known that the third
had been destroyed and the nest of pirates completely broken up.

On the following day Will was sent for by the admiral.

"My lad," he said, "I wish to tell you that although it is not usual for a
captain to acknowledge in official despatches that he acted on the ideas
of a young midshipman, Captain Marker has done full justice to you in his
verbal report to me. Your idea showed great ingenuity, and although the
surprise was so complete that even had the attack been made by ships'
boats only it would probably have been successful, this detracts in no way
from the merit of the suggestion. Of course you have some years to serve
yet before you can pass, but