o transport across the isthmus such stores
and ammunition as it will be necessary for us to take with us. Will you
do this?"

"Senor," exclaimed Lukabela, "we Cimarrones live but to wreak our
righteous vengeance upon the Spaniard. We are his enemies; and you,
too, are his enemies; therefore in any attempt of yours which has for
its object the spoiling of the Spaniard we are your natural allies, and
you may command our help to any extent which you may deem needful. I
can place fifty men at your service; and if these be not enough I can
increase the number to five hundred in the course of a week if you care
to wait so long."

"A thousand thanks!" said George. "Your fifty men will no doubt prove
ample, for I do not anticipate that there will be any fighting to do,
except at sea, and for that my own men will be sufficient. When can I
have your men to assist me aboard the ship?"

"I will bring them to you within the hour, senor, if that will suffice,"
answered Lukabela.

"Thanks," answered George, "that will do most admirably. And now, that
matter being settled, I will return at once and make all the necessary
preparations. The boats shall be waiting to convey you aboard the ship
in one hour's time."

And therewith he and his party rose and, bidding Lukabela a temporary
farewell, hurried back to the _Nonsuch_, where preparations were at once
made for the dismantling of the ship prior to the adventurous expedition
across the isthmus.

That day and the one that followed it were days of strenuous labour
indeed, not only for the crew of the _Nonsuch_, but also for their black
allies, who turned up on the beach in full strength, and with most
commendable punctuality, under Lukabela, and were promptly taken aboard.
For there was a very considerable amount of heavy work to be done:
sails were to be loosed and dried, unbent, rolled up and stowed away
below; yards and topmasts to be sent down, scraped and thoroughly
greased before they, too, were stowed below; gear unrove, overhauled,
made up in coils and labelled; the ordnance dismounted, and, in short,
the ship dismantled to her three lower masts, and every movable thing
stowed away out of reach of covetous hands--for George felt that it
would be unwise to trust his black allies too far or too implicitly.
Then every anchor and cable belonging to the ship was used to moor her
securely, for it was impossible to estimate how long she would have to
lie there at the mercy