Evening star., 1924-11-11
Continued from Yesterdays Star.)

And whilst the most formidable
vessel Of the Spanish fleet was thus
being put out Of action at the outset
Blood had sailed in to open fire upon
the Salvador. First athwart heH
hawse he had loosed a broadside that
had swept her decks with terrific eff
feet; then, going on and about, he
had put a second broadside into her
hull at short range. Leaving her thus
half crippled, temporarily, at least
and keeping to his course, he had
bewildered the crew of the Infanta
by couple Of shots from the chasers
on his beak-head; then crashed
alongside to grapple and board her,
whilst Hagthorpe was doing the like
by the San Felipe.
And in all this time not a single
shot had the Spaniards contrived to
fire. so completely had they been
paralyzing had been Blood's stroke.
Boarded now and faced by the cold
steel of the buccaneers. neither the
San Felipe nor the Infanta offered
much resistance. The sight Of their
admiral in flames and the Salvador
drifting, crippled from the action.
had 80 utterly disheartened them that
they accounted themselves vanquish-
ed and laid down their arms.
If, by a resoIute stand, the Salvador
had encouraged the other two un-
damaged vessels to resi- stance the
Spaniards might we'll have retrieved
pened that the Salvador was handi-
capped in true Spanish fashion by
being the treasure ship Of the
feet, with plate ON board to the
value Of some dfty thousand pieces
Intent above all upon saving this
from falling into the hands of the
pirates. Don Miguel, who, with a
remnant Of his Drew, had meanwhile
transferred himself aboard her, head
cd her down toward Palomas and the
fort that guarded the passage. This
fort the admiral. in those days of
waiting. had taken tho precaution
secretly to garrison and rearm. For
the purpose he had stripped the fort
of Cojero, farther out on the gulf, Of
it's entire armament which included
some cannon royal Of more than ordi-
nary range and power.
With no suspicion Of this, Capt.
Blood gave chase, accompanied by the
Infanta, which was manned now by
Yberville- The stern chasers Of the
Salvador desultorily returned the
Furnishing flre Of the pursuers but
such was the damage she herself
sustained, that presently, coming un-
der the guns OF tho fort, she began
to sink. and finally settled down in
the shadows with part of her hull
above water. Thence. some in boats
and some by swimming, the admiral
got his crew ashore on Palomas as
best he could.
And then, just as Capt. Blood 40
counted the victory won, and that his
way out of that trap to the open sea
beyond lay clear, the fort suddenly
revealed it's formidable and utterly
unsuspected strength. With a roar
the cannons-royal proclaimed them
selves, and the Arabella staggered
under blow that smashed her bull
warks at the waist and scattered
death and confusion among the sea-
men gathered there.
Had not Pitt, her master, himself
seized the whipstaff and put the
helm hard over to swing her sharply
off to starboard, she must have suf-
fered still worse from the second
volley that followed fast upon the
first.
Meanwhile it had Jared even worse
with the Trailer Infanta. Although hi,
by one shot only, starting a leak that
must presently have filled her, bu,
for the prompt action OF the experf.
enoed Yberville in ordering her lar.
board guns to be flung overheard
Thus lightened, and listing now e
starboard, he fetched her about, and
went staggering after the retrcatina
Arabella, followed by the fire Of the
fort. which did them, however, little
further damage.
Out of range, at last they lay to-
joined by the Elizabeth and the San
Felipe. to consider their position.
CHAPTER XVII.
The Dupes.
1t was crestfallen Capt Blood