“‘Next the boats were lowered. The captain himself was the last to leave, for he had lit a time-fuse attached to the magazine.
“‘In a very short time after we had left there was a terrible explosion. The air was darkened with broken masts and spars, and with the bodies of men. Then all was over; a blackened spar or two floating on top of the blue, blue sea was all that was left to tell of this fearsome battle and tragedy.
* * * * *
“‘The Rover’s head was turned once more eastwards to Jamaica. Morgan treated his men well, and gave them all a large share of the booty. I took mine as did the others. I considered I had more right to it than any one there. Was I not a Spaniard myself, and did this gold not belong to my countrymen?
“‘At Jamaica Morgan lay up for a time, under the very guns of a British fort. From his country he received praise and honours for what he had done; and concerning the cruelties he had been guilty of, not only to men, but to women, girls, and even to helpless children, never a question was asked.
“‘Morgan Meets Mansvelt.
“‘Morgan was fond of dash and show, and armed to the teeth, one day he was swaggering along the streets of Jamaica, the observed of all observers, when he was met by a gentleman who was quite as much of a hero as, if not more so than, Morgan himself.
“‘It was “Hail, fellow, well met.”
“‘But Mansvelt quickly explained that he was no longer to confine his attentions to Spanish ships at sea, but that he meant to attack cities by land, and that indeed he had a fleet of sixteen ships armed and manned, and almost ready for the sea. He had heard of the daring and fame of Morgan, and now begged him to accept the post of vice-admiral of the fleet.
“‘Morgan was overjoyed at heart, but did not show it. He preferred to act the stoic.