til they could send her home under convoy.
Now, if they entertain such a belief as that, it seems to me highly
probable that some of their big officials will embrace so apparently
safe an opportunity to take a passage home in her, and they might not be
ready quite so soon as the ship. Now, if that should happen, what is to
prevent our cutting her out?"

"Do you happen to know what Cartagena harbour is like, sir?" inquired
Hoard, beginning his answer to my question by asking another.

"No," said I. "I have never been near it; nor have I ever seen a chart
of it."

"Of course you haven't, sir," answered my companion; "for the simple
reason that the Spaniards won't let a chart of it be made, for fear that
it should get into an enemy's hands. But I can tell you what it's like,
sir. It is about eight miles long, with a width varyin' from four miles
down to about one and a half. It is completely landlocked by the island
of Tierra Bomba, that forms the seaward face of it, and there's only one
channel, called the Boca Chica, about half a cable's length wide, by
which a ship can get in or out. And just abreast the narrowest part of
this here channel there's a battery, called the San Fernando Battery,
mounting twelve sixty-eight pounders. So, you see, sir, that cuttin' a
ship out of Cartagena harbour ain't to be thought of."

"Are there any other forts or batteries anywhere along the shores of the
harbour?" asked I, my thoughts flitting back to our exploit at
Abervrach.

"No, sir," answered Hoard, in surprise at my question. "But you'd find
the San Fernando more than enough, if you was to try to get in. They're
always on the watch, whenever there's a craft headin' for the harbour;
and they won't let her pass until the port cap'n have been off to her,
and is satisfied that she's all right."

"Well," said I, "I must have some clearer information than you have been
able to give me. I must ascertain the precise date fixed for the
sailing of the galleon; and I must have a look at Cartagena harbour, so
that I may be able to judge for myself what will be the best mode of
action. Now, how is this to be done?"

"Oh, sir," answered Hoard, "so far as getting news is concerned, I'll
undertake to do that for you. I speak Spanish like a native, and
contrived to make a friend or two here and there among the fishermen and
porters and people of that class, in spite of the priests and the
soldiers. There's one man in particular