Roar after roar burst from the guns, as broadside followed broadside, but it was almost seven hours before the noise so much as made Paul stir. Then, calmly, just as the sound of the last broadside died out, he sat up, rubbed his eyes with chubby fists and yawned.

The red-faced Admiral, in a greater rage than ever by this time, gave the command to fire again. With a great flare of sound, the cannon-balls again whistled over Paul‘s head. Being asleep, he hadn‘t noticed them before, and now hearing the terrific crash of the guns for the first time he was startled almost out of his wits. Making a great lunge and snapping the heavy cables, which held him in his cradle, he leaped out towards shore, stirring up the water mightily in doing so.

The Admiral‘s red face suddenly paled with terror. "Bout ship! Port your helm!" he screamed frantically, and then had no time for further orders. The great waves which Paul had stirred up as he broke loose from his cradle was a manner fearful to behold. When at last the waters quieted down somewhat, it was found that eight ships had been sunk and much damage wrought upon those that remained.

The Admiral, however, seized the floating cradle as spoils of war and towed it back to port, where eight more warships were built from it. Thus the British Navy was just as well off as it was before, but the Admiral never did forgive Paul for making him miss the Governor‘s ball.

As for Paul, he reached the shore in safety and vanished into the woods. There he was found by his parents, who had fled thither into hiding as soon as the guns had first begun to roar. Being fearful of punishment for the trouble their infant son had caused, they did not go back to their former home, but slipped quietly away without a word to anyone.

"This boy of ours needs a lot of room," Paul‘s father growled. "He was never made to live among neighbours."

"Yes," agreed the child‘s mother. "We'll find a place back in the wilderness, far away from anyone else, where he can play and romp about as he pleases without endangering the lives or property of others." So through the woods they went, just where has never been learned, and deep in virgin country they picked the spot for their new home.