the
treasure, and being, of course, each in his own degree, as anxious for
its safety as I was. Moreover, the galleon's launch was a fine big lump
of a boat; so we managed to tranship the whole and get it safely stowed
away before sundown. That night I resumed command of the schooner, and
turned the command of the galleon over to Saunders, who was a thoroughly
steady, reliable fellow.

At midnight, as arranged by me prior to leaving the galleon, both craft
hauled up to the northward for Jamaica, and we then found that--so slow
was the galleon, with the wind anywhere but on her quarter--the
schooner, under mainsail, stay foresail, and jib, was quite able to keep
pace with her even when she was carrying topgallant-sails, above which
the galleon set nothing. This promised a long, wearisome voyage across
the Atlantic, and doubly justified me in transhipping the treasure to
the schooner. Nevertheless I looked forward with a great deal of pride
to the day when I should take the prize into Weymouth harbour. It was
early days, however, to think of that as yet, for there was the whole of
the Atlantic and two-thirds of the Caribbean between ourselves and home,
with who could say how many chances of shipwreck or capture before that
distance could be traversed.

And, as though to enforce the recollection of the latter contingency
more effectively upon us, the dawn next morning revealed a long, snake-
like two-masted craft hovering some five miles to windward, which I by
and by made out to be one of those pestilent war-galleys which were apt
to prove such formidable antagonists, and to give so much trouble in
such moderate weather as we were then experiencing. I judged that this
galley, which was under sail when first sighted, had come out from
Cartagena in search of us, and from the fact that she did not at once
bear down upon us, but hung persistently to windward, I conjectured that
she was not alone, that she had one or more consorts somewhere to
windward, and that, upon fully identifying the galleon, she would lower
her sails, out sweeps, and be off to windward for help to tackle us.
This I was most anxious to prevent, if possible, and after considering
awhile I hit upon a plan which I thought might serve. I accordingly
closed with the galleon, and ordered Saunders to at once bear up before
the wind and run away to leeward, piling all the sail possible upon the
old tub, to convey the impression that he was terribly frig