Of course they would; and in little more than a minute from the first explosion the boats of the _Thetis_ were tearing up the waters of the harbour in a mad race for the honour of being first in the noble work of rescue! And as they went they were joined by boats from the other ships in the harbour, among which were those of the Spanish cruiser _Alphonso the Twelfth_; as well as a large number which put off from the shore. As the boats went hither and thither, seeking for survivors--and finding remarkably few, considering that the complement of the _Maine_ amounted to three hundred and forty-seven--an officer in one of the Spanish boats came dashing up, and, with a great show of authority, announced that Admiral Manterolas' orders were that the rescued Americans were to be put aboard the _Alphonso the Twelfth_, where the injured would receive every attention: accordingly, as soon as the boats of the _Thetis_ had picked up all they could find, they pulled alongside the Spanish warship, and delivered over their living, and in some cases terribly mutilated, freight to her officers and crew. Eighty-six men were rescued, sixty of them being wounded; and of this number the _Thetis's_ boats were responsible for no less than twenty-nine, of whom seventeen were wounded. When at length, having pulled about for nearly an hour without finding any more people to pick up, Milsom reluctantly gave the word for the boats to return to the ship. The wreck, or rather that portion of her which yet remained above water, was still burning.