ind themselves trapped. Dawn
found the galley well out of sight of land and going northwards.

Chapter XLIX.

EASTWARD HO!

Panama awoke with the sun, discovered the flight of the galley, and
made ready for pursuit. There were some small craft in the bay, and
these were manned with Indians and soldiers and sent out to sea; but
they came back as they went. Truth to tell, the flotilla would have
stood no chance against the guns of the _Santa Maria_, and those aboard
the tossing boats knew that.

Thereafter, for some weeks, the town lived its nights in alarm. Fires
burned along the fort and on the most seaward points of the bay. No
man expected other than that the slaves would come back in the darkness
and take a terrible revenge for the cruelties they had suffered. But
Panama was alarmed quite needlessly: the galley never rode on its
waters again.

The first care of the revolted slaves was to get as far away from their
late masters as possible. In spite of their fatigue, they rowed hard
until daybreak. At first there was some difficulty with the European
riff-raff. These wanted to swagger about on deck and bully the
Indians; but neither Hernando nor his two English friends would hear of
it. They had chosen the able-bodied sailors from amongst the rowers,
and placed them on deck to attend to helm and sails. All not wanted
for this duty must sit at the oars. Two or three flatly refused to do
so, and began to talk above their deserts. They were promptly put back
into chains again, and Hernando stood over them with a whip and flogged
them into work. The lesson was not lost on the others.

A breeze came up with the sun; sails were spread, sweeps taken in, and
the Indians freed from their chains. The delight of the poor fellows
was unbounded. They fell down before their rescuers, worshipping them;
then they rushed up on deck, dancing and singing like a mob of children
let loose from confinement. There was plenty of excellent food aboard,
and for once the rowers fed sumptuously. The breeze continuing, all
save the three commanders and the deck hands laid themselves down and
slept until nearly noon. Then labour began again. The wind still held
strongly, so the natives were put to work cleansing the slave-deck of
its accumulated filth. The chains, save about a score of the strongest
sets, were tossed overboard. These were kept in case of mutiny amongst
the scum whites. There was no fear of troub