The action had continued for nearly an hour, and during all that time not a single person in the fort had been hit. At length the Spaniard appeared to have had enough of it. Her boats were observed ahead, as if about to tow her off the shore. Her cable was cut, and she was seen steering for a passage which the master had lately discovered between the reefs to the north-west. "She must put her best foot foremost, if she expects to get to sea before the wind which will come out of yonder black cloud catches her," he observed. "Should it hold as it does now she may do it, but if it shifts to the northward or westward she will go ashore as sure as my name is Billhook." As soon as the frigate's head had come round, her topsails were let fall and sheeted home, and she quickly glided out of the range of the _Champion's_ guns. The British crew cheered lustily as they saw the defeat of their enemy. "We must not be too sure that she will not come back again," observed Mr Tarwig. "The Spaniards do not like the look of the weather; when the squall blows over, they will probably pay us another visit." "It is a chance if they will be able to do so," observed the master. "See! here comes the wind sooner than I expected. If they can manage to get out between the reefs, they are better navigators than I take them for," he added, as he eagerly watched the retreating enemy. The wind continued for some time blowing from the same direction as before, enabling the frigate to thread her way between the rocks on either hand. A blast at length reached her. Over she heeled. There was no time for shortening sail; onward she flew at a rapid rate through the water. "She will get through, after all," observed the commander. The various spectators almost held their breath, for, though the ship they were watching was an enemy, no one wished her to meet that fate which it seemed probable would overtake her. Now again she rose almost to an even keel, but not a brace or a sheet was slackened. Already the sea was breaking with fearful violence over a dark reef under her lee, while she was sailing as close as possible to the wind. "She will not weather it," cried the master. "They are attempting to go about. It's too late, though. She's lost--she's lost!" At that instant the gale with fresh force struck the devoted ship. Down she heeled, and a sea striking her before she had come round, drove her bodily on the reef. The following seas dashed wildly over her, almost concealing her dark hull from view. For a few moments her masts again came into view, but directly afterwards they fell over one after the other, and the vessel herself appeared to be melting away before the reiterated blows of the fierce waves, which seemed suddenly to rise for the purpose of effecting her destruction. "We must be ready to offer help to any of the poor fellows who may be washed ashore," exclaimed the commander; "though I fear that few will reach it alive."