ou will kindly issue any orders that you may wish
to give, we will go at once."

It was in vain that Don Sebastian begged to be excused from accompanying
his captors to the battery, in vain that he alternately protested,
represented, promised, and almost threatened; George turned a deaf ear
to everything that the poor man found to say and half an hour later saw
the whole party which had held the Grand Plaza marching in good order
through the streets toward the battery, with the Governor and his three
servants, the latter bearing heavy loads of his Excellency's baggage, in
the centre of the solid phalanx. By that time the townspeople had
recovered from their first panic, and had almost settled down again into
their normal condition, the shops were nearly all open, excitement was
rapidly subsiding, and the citizens were mostly going about their
business pretty much as usual; the English, therefore, experienced no
inconvenience or interruption during their march, and in due time
reached the battery, the gates of which were thrown open to receive
them, and closed and bolted again after they had all entered.

The first thing was for the newcomers to get breakfast, for which they
were all--with, perhaps, the exception of the Governor--by this time
quite ready. Then, at the conclusion of the meal, George accompanied
Basset round the battery upon a tour of inspection, during which the
latter pointed out what he had done, and was still doing, to strengthen
the defences of the place; and the young captain was greatly gratified
to see that a few hours' more work would render the place practically
impregnable to assault, and that all that they then need fear was a
protracted siege, which, however, did not enter into the Englishmen's
calculations.

The entire party from the _Nonsuch_ were now housed in the battery, for
Basset had no sooner secured possession of the place than, very wisely,
he hailed the men who had been left in the boats to take care of them,
directing them to beach their craft under the battery walls, moor them
securely, remove all gear, and convey it and themselves into the battery
forthwith, which they did, this arrangement rendering both them and
their boats absolutely secure from interference.

By mid-afternoon Basset's plans had all been carried out, and the
battery placed in a thorough state for effective defence; and now all
that remained was to await with patience the return of Senor Montalvo
from Pan