getting up, and the wind blowing right on shore. Before daylight, they therefore bore up, and in a few hours were safely at an anchor in the Port of Callao.

CHAPTER XXII.

"The Philistines bear down."

Song of WILL WATCH.

TOWARDS the evening, the gale had progressed to a perfect hurricane; and, while they were rejoicing at being so snugly anchored, they discovered there was another storm brewing, for which they were obliged to prepare.

Fitzjohn having been engaged in looking at the shore, observed a number of troops and seafaring men collecting on the beach. After watching their motions narrowly for a short time, they soon had no doubts of their intentions, namely, to attempt the carrying of the Chance by boarding her.

As the deserters had, doubtless, told them the strength of Fitzjohn's crew, he now prepared for the worst, as follows.

The swinging booms having been rigged out, a spare topmast and topsail-yard, well lashed endways together, were attached to the bowsprit by a strong hawser, which led through a thimble at the end of the boom, thereby serving to keep them from the vessel's side. These spars, of course, floated on each side, and reached from the swinging-boom-end to nearly abreast of the taffrail.

The broadside guns having been well crammed with grape and canister, were depressed so as to fire about two feet above the floating masts and yards; in the water, and athwart the stern, a spare spar, called the handmast, was so lashed as to keep the floating spars asunder, lest the shock of the boats might drive them alongside. By this means, the ship lay defended on each side and the stern, by an outer line of spars, a protection which was only wanting on the bow. To remedy this defect, a heavy boarding-netting was hung to the spritsail-yard, so as to touch the water;

and three men were stationed with muskets in the fore-topmast stay-sail netting, where they not only commanded the bow-ports, but were able to prevent the cable from being cut, having, in addition to their musquetoons, a basket of hand-grenades.

The bow-chasers having been taken from their original position forward, were run aft, and placed along on either side of the cabinhatchway, with their muzzles rather depressed below the point-blank range, loaded with a very reduced charge of powder, and rammed full of old nails, broken files, and pieces of iron. At each of these guns was stationed a steady gunner's-mate, who would not fire until he was ordered, but would fire when he was told.

The bow-ports having thus, as it were, lost their metal, were covered over with boardingnetting, and a party of small-arm men, with pikes, were stationed to defend them. The main boarding or broadside nettings, were hauled out to the fore and main yard-arm, with a pig of ballast lashed to them, close to where they touched the tricing lines. In the fore and

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main-top, were stationed the best fire-arm men, with particular and most positive orders not to fire in-board.

As it was Fitzjohn's determination not to attempt firing the great guns more than once, broad planks were prepared to lay along and upon them as soon as they had been discharged, so that the men might mount upon this platform, and use their muskets to greater advantage.

The upper, or flush deck, being thus defended, it was necessary to prepare the 'tween decks, in case of the enemy getting below. For this purpose the main-deck gratings were placed athwart, and abreast of the coamings of the after-hatchway, being well secured to stand edgewise, and prevent the enemy from getting aft, while the openings of the gratings allowed the privateer's crew to use their musketry or boarding-pikes through the interstices. In addition to this, all the hatches were battened down, excepting the fore-cabin hatchway on the flushdeck.

As the wind generally blows off the Spanish shore at night, the topsail and top-gallant yards