At the sight I cried out, in a transport that amazed my sons, "Victory! victory! the charming vessel is our own; it will be easy now to launch her." "Ah! I comprehend now," said Fritz.

"Papa has blown up the ship; but how could you manage to do it so exactly ?" I explained all to him, as we entered through the broken side of the devoted vessel.

I soon ascertained that no fire remained; and that the pinnace had escaped any injury.

We set to work to clear away all the broken timbers in our way, and, by the aid of the jack-screw and levers, we moved the pinnace, which we had taken care to build on rollers, to the opening; then attaching a strong cable to her head, and fixing the other end to the most solid part of the ship, we easily launched her.

It was too late to do any more now, except carefully securing our prize.