st of their ship, where, huddled closely together,
it was impossible for them to use their arms effectively. Finally,
Smellie and Madera, after several unsuccessful efforts to get at each
other, managed to cross swords, and after a few rapid passes the latter
fell, run through the body by the skipper. In the very act of falling,
however, he whipped a pistol from his belt and aiming point blank at the
skipper, fired, the ball passing through Smellie's lungs. The poor
fellow turned blindly, and with the blood spurting from his mouth reeled
into my arms.

I knew very little of the fight after this, for summoning a couple of
men I at once proceeded to remove the skipper on board his own vessel;
but before we had got him fairly down on deck a cheer from our lads told
us that victory had once more declared herself on our side, and that the
redoubtable _Black Venus_ was ours.

Getting Smellie below and into his cot with all speed, I waited until
the arrival of the surgeon upon the scene, when, handing the patient
over to his tender mercies, I hastened back on board the prize, and went
straight below into her cabin. It was a magnificently furnished
apartment, and fitted with every luxury, even to a guitar. But it was
empty. Could it be possible that we had been deceived, after all, as to
the circumstances of Dona Antonia's abduction? Perhaps she was
concealed somewhere. I shouted:

"Dona Antonia! Dona Antonia! are you here? Fear not; it is I--Dick
Hawkesley. We have captured this vessel; Madera is wounded, if not
slain outright; your father is at hand, and you are free."

"Who calls?" I heard a voice--Madre Dolores'--exclaim from an adjacent
berth, the door of which was closed. "Who calls?"

"I--Dick Hawkesley," I replied. "Don't you recognise my voice, Madre?"

"Ay, to be sure I do--_rum_" was the reply. A sound of the withdrawal
of bolts followed; the door cautiously opened, and the Madre, with her
eyes gleaming and a cocked pistol pointed straight in my direction,
protruded her head through the opening. One look was sufficient. With
a wild cry of delight she dashed the pistol to the floor, exploding it
in the act, and sending the ball within a hair's-breadth of my starboard
ankle, and rushing forward flung her arms convulsively about my neck,
pouring out a torrent of Spanish endearments between the kisses which
the poor old soul liberally bestowed upon me. I submitted with a good
grace for a moment, a