eral of her guns had been badly damaged; but the young
man suggested that they could be replaced, together with the damaged
weapons belonging to the _Angamos_, from the gun-runner's cargo, which
consisted, in part, of a number of similar pieces.

Jim carefully digested the report, and then unfolded his latest plan to
Manuel, which was to the effect that the _Miraflores_, with a prize-crew
aboard, and the _Angamos_, should impersonate the two Peruvian gun-
runners expected by the _Union_; and that they should hoist the enemy's
flag and go in search of him; thus getting close enough to bring the
elusive corvette to action. The lieutenant was therefore ordered to get
aboard at once, with his prize-crew, execute the necessary repairs, re-
arm the ship out of the cargo she carried, and, as the boiler was too
badly damaged to admit of repair at sea, to cut off steam from it
altogether, and fire up under the remaining three, which could, even
then, give the _Miraflores_ a speed of about nine knots.

Manuel accordingly selected his crew, and again went aboard the gun-
runner; where he and his men worked with such a will that by mid-day the
repairs were complete enough to allow of a start being made. The
remaining repairs were of such a nature that it was possible to execute
them while the ship was under way. Steam was then raised in the three
sound boilers, and, the water being quite smooth, the _Miraflores_ was
brought alongside the cruiser, which then replaced her damaged guns, and
hoisted fresh ones out of the gun-runner's hold with her own derricks.

At length, by five o'clock in the afternoon of the day after the battle,
both ships were in a condition to proceed; and, much to Jim's
satisfaction, there had been no sign of the _Union_ to disturb them.
They were now ready to go in search of her; and, with two well-armed
ships under his command, Douglas swore that he would pay Captain
Villavicencio in full for all the injury that he had done in the past to
Chilian commerce. The Peruvian flag was then hoisted aboard both ships,
and each also arranged three lanterns upon her foremast, for use after
dark, in the same manner as they had been previously arranged, as a
signal, on board the gun-runners. Before starting Jim also questioned
the captured crew as to what they knew of the plans of their skipper,
and where he had expected to meet the _Union_. The men refused
information at first, but, upon being told that they would