Boom! Boom!
Her guns were being fired furiously, but Lieutenant Tyler saw with a face of concern that the shore batteries were situated at such a height, that it was quite impossible for him to train his guns on them.
Meanwhile, there the cruiser stuck, a target for the enemy to practice upon.
The engines were reversed. It was no good. The bottom of the cruiser was embedded in a bank of sand, and it was quite immovable.
The men were aghast.
"They'll come out and board us!" said one.
"Shure, it's not such fools they'll be."
"Why not, Dan?"
"Because they've all day to fire at us. Begorra, it's sunk we'll be."
"We can't get off, Young Glory," said Mr. Tyler to the young sailor.