et he du zay, zur, that
if you'll give un half an hour he'll make thicky battery so's he can
hold mun again' all comers."

Now, time was pressing, and it was of the utmost importance that the
Grand Plaza and its approaches should be secured before the earliest of
the inhabitants of the city should be stirring; but it was of at least
equal importance that the battery should be rendered capable of being
held against attack at least until all the contemplated negotiations had
been satisfactorily concluded, since the battery commanded a good part
of the city; therefore, after some consideration, George sent back a
message to the effect that he and his party would remain where they were
for exactly thirty minutes, during which Basset must do all that he
could to render his position completely tenable, because at the
expiration of that time the advance upon the Grand Plaza would begin.
For half an hour, therefore, the party under the command of the young
captain crouched, silent and motionless, upon the beach, during the
whole of which seemingly endless time George was quaking with
apprehension lest some nocturnal prowler, a fisherman, or a boat from
one of the craft at anchor in the harbour should appear upon the scene,
discover the presence of the lurking Englishmen, and succeed in raising
an alarm before a capture could be effected. But fortune seemed to be
on their side, for no intruder of any sort appeared, and when at length
the half-hour had expired the word was given, and with a little sigh of
relief from the strain of suspense, the men rose noiselessly to their
feet and moved off in the wake of Dyer, who, knowing the way, was to act
as pilot to the party.

Nombre de Dios was even then a city of considerable size and importance:
it was, indeed, the most important Spanish settlement on the Atlantic
side of the isthmus, exceeding Cartagena in the number of its
inhabitants, and rivalled only by Panama on the whole continent. But
when that is said it must not be supposed that it covered a very great
extent of ground; moreover, the Grand Plaza did not occupy the exact
centre of the city, this point being nearly half a mile further inland,
consequently a march of some twenty-five minutes sufficed to enable the
party to cover the distance between the beach and their destination.
But that march had to be made through narrow, tortuous, unlighted
streets and for some forty armed men, complete strangers to the place,
to acco