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⟨Minerva's⟩ "quis work," and mounting the swinging-boom, was instantly on board. He was speedily followed by several of his shipmates, who, without uttering a word, commenced an almost unresisted attack on the astonished Spaniards. Meanwhile the drugger had been swung round by the swell, till she came right alongside of the Minerva, and tho remainder of the assailants easily scrambled on deck. The conflict was bloody, but of brief duration, for so instantaneous had been tho assault, and panic struck as the Spaniards were by its temerity, they made little or no resistance; and their unexpeeted visitors experienced little difficulty in driving those who had escaped with life down the hatehway. The only man amongst them, indeed, who defended himself with true eourage, was the Minerva's boatswain. This brave fellow, who eneountered Maekay, placed his back against the bulwarks, and defended himself nobly, but having refused to ask for quarter, his antagonist was reluctantly compelled to eut him down.
The hatches were now secured upon the multitude below, the captivos of the sixteen dare-devils above; and the elosing of the hatehes was aceompanied by an information, that the slightest attempt to alarm the fort or to reeapture the ship, would be followed by an immediate discharge of grape-shot through the deeks.
Here, then, was tho Minerva, and her guards and crew, fairly in tho hands of our heroes, but they had yet much to do before being absolutely seeure of their prize. On looking around them, they diseovered that not only were her topmasts struck, but that all her sails were unbent, and her foreyard lying across the forecastle--hor deek being, at the same time, "lumbered up" with goods
