at once proceeded to drill the
soldiers, Ned and Gerald taking each the command of a company of
fifteen men, as they understood Spanish and could readily make
themselves understood in Portuguese, whereas Tom and Reuben knew
but little of the Spanish tongue.

"I think," Tom said the first morning to the governor, after the
friends had discussed the prospect together, "it would be well to
throw up some protection at the top of the road leading from the
shore. I should order some large trees to be cut down, and dragged
by a strong force of natives to the spot, and there so arranged
that their branches will point downward and form a chevaux de frise
in the hollow way; leaving until the last moment a passage between
them, but having at hand a number of young saplings, to fill up the
gap. There are, I suppose, other places at which the enemy could
land?"

"Oh, yes," the governor said. "On the other side of the island the
land slopes gradually down to the shore, and indeed it is only for
a few miles, at this point, that the cliffs rise so abruptly that
they could not be ascended. Yet even here there are many points
which a native could easily scale; although we, in our accoutrements,
would find it impossible."

While Ned and Gerald drilled their men with great assiduity,
astonishing the Portuguese soldiers with their energy and
authoritative manner, Tom and Reuben occupied themselves in
superintending the felling of the trees; and their carriage, by
means of a large number of natives, to the top of the road.
Preparations were also made for blocking up the lower windows of
the house so that, in case of the enemy succeeding in carrying the
outer wall, a stout resistance could be made within. Large piles of
provisions were stored in the building, and great jars of water
placed there.

"Are you sure," Ned asked the governor one evening, "of the natives
here? For I own that there appears to me to be a sullen defiance in
their manner, and I should not be surprised to see them turn upon
us, immediately those from the other island arrive. If they did so,
of course our position at the top of the road would be untenable,
as they would take us in the rear. However, if they do so, I doubt
not that we shall be able to cut our way back to the castle,
without difficulty.

"I think that it would be, in any case, advisable to leave at least
ten men to hold the castle, while the rest of us oppose the
landing."

There were in store f