idea of stealing a
boat from the dockyard and making my escape in her. The only
consideration which caused me to hesitate was, that as I fully intended
to take Lotta and Mammy with me, I did not care to expose them to the
perils and discomforts of a boat voyage until every other resource had
failed.

A few more days had passed, when, about two o'clock one morning, I was
rudely awakened by some individual who had entered my room and was
roughly shaking me by the shoulder. I started up in bed and, quickly
gathering my confused wits together, recognised the voice that was
addressing me as that of Fonseca, the surgeon of the _Barracouta_!

"Hullo, Fonseca," I exclaimed, "where in the name of fortune have you
sprung from? Is the _Barracouta_ in?"

"Yes, Senor Grenvile," he answered, "we have just arrived. At the peril
of my life I took advantage of the bustle and confusion, attendant upon
her coming to an anchor, to slip quietly over the side and swim ashore,
in order that I may warn you to rise at once and make your escape while
you may, taking the senorita and the old woman with you, if you would
save their lives, or that which is perhaps even dearer than life to the
senorita!"

"Why," I ejaculated, as I sprang out of bed and started groping for the
materials with which to strike a light, "what has happened, then, that
it should be necessary for us to fly for our lives? Ricardo? Is he--?"

"Stop!" exclaimed Fonseca, laying his hand upon my arm as I was about to
light a candle; "don't do that! You must dress and make your
preparations in darkness; for should Dominique see the house lighted, as
he could scarcely fail to do, he would leave everything and come ashore
at once rather than that you and the senorita should slip through his
fingers. Yes, Ricardo is dead. We have sighted nothing in the shape of
a sail from the time that we left here; as a result of which the men
rapidly grew discontented. Dominique and Juan, who have long been
jealous of Ricardo and envious of his power, took advantage of this and
incited the crew to mutiny. The precious pair made their way to
Ricardo's cabin and murdered him in his sleep; then, when his dead body
had been first exhibited to the men and afterwards tossed overboard,
Dominique offered himself as captain in place of Ricardo, and, as he
happened to be the only reliable navigator among us, he was chosen, with
Juan as his lieutenant. That done, it was decided to abandon t