"In my opinion the skipper himself hadn't much fighting in him, bold and blustering as he seemed. While he was forward the young lady came on deck. She judged by the midshipmen's countenances that something was wrong, though her father looked as stern and determined as usual. "`I fear that you will be put to some inconvenience,' he said; `those men-of-war I suspect are sent to overhaul the brig, and, becalmed as we are, we cannot escape them, but I am very sure that our young friends here will defend you from insult, and our enemies may be satisfied if they can get hold of the captain and me.' "`That we will,' said all the midshipmen together. "`Oh, my father, do not let me be separated from you. Where you go I will accompany you,' said Miss O'Regan. "`But I hope that the colonel will not have to go anywhere,' exclaimed Mr Rogers. `We must drive the fellows off if they attempt to board the brig.' "`I thank you for your zeal and courage, young gentlemen,' said the colonel. `You see, Stella, that you have brave defenders. I wish you to go below, and rest assured that we will do all that possibly can be done to secure your safety.' "`But I am thinking about your safety, father,' said Miss O'Regan. "`I have been too often in danger to be anxious about that,' he answered. `Go below, and we'll let you know as soon as possible what is likely to happen.' "Without saying another word the young lady did as the colonel told her. I had been watching the men forward, and I soon saw by their looks that there was no fighting in them; presently three or four of them slipped below, the others, after saying a few more words to the skipper, followed, and I then knew that they had made up their minds not to fight; they had gone to put on their best clothes, and to stow their money away in their pockets, guessing that if the Spaniards boarded us they would to a certainty plunder the vessel. "The skipper came aft, looking very downcast. `The men won't fight, and we must make the best of a bad bargain,' he said to the colonel. `There's no chance of a breeze, and see, the corvette and brig are lowering their boats, and we shall have the fellows aboard us in a few minutes.' "The sloop lay becalmed close to us; her skipper, Captain Judson, came aboard, and walked about the deck like a madman. "`Those fellows will hang every mother's son of us!' he cried out, pulling off his hat, and tearing away at his hair. `What a fool I was to engage in this sort of work! Colonel O'Regan, can't you advise us what we are to do?' "`You knew the risk, and you and I must take the consequences,' answered the colonel quite coolly. `I can only advise you to act like brave men, whatever our enemies chance to do with us; don't let them have cause to treat us with contempt.'