aint Leger estimated, of fully five hundred tons measurement.
She showed a double tier of ordnance, besides sakers, falcons,
falconettes and serpentines on her poop and fore and after castles. She
was painted a deep golden yellow, with broad white bands along her two
tiers of gun ports, and there was, in accordance with the Spanish
fashion of the times, a tremendous amount of decorative gilding about
her bows and quarters; her sails also were decorated with paintings,
though what subjects were represented it was impossible to distinguish
at that distance.

"A plate ship, loaded with silver from Lima, without a doubt," whispered
Lukabela. "I saw her appear round yonder headland about half an hour
ago, and I thought you would be interested."

"I am," replied George emphatically, bringing his glass to bear upon the
craft, and he watched her as she gradually drifted in toward the
anchorage, while Lukabela kept a look-out to guard against their being
surprised by passers by.

Slow and stately the great galleon crept toward the roadstead, impelled
by the dying sea-breeze, and at length, as the wind dropped altogether
and the waters of the bay became a flawless mirror reflecting the
gorgeous tints of a flaming sunset, she dropped her ponderous anchor
about half a mile from the shore; her gaily painted sails were slowly
clewed up and furled; the galley went alongside and received several
richly dressed persons from the galleon, including some three or four in
full suits of armour, and then pushed off and pulled toward the quay,
churning the placid waters of the bay into foam with the long, regular
strokes of her sixty oars, finally ranging up alongside and mooring to
the wharf, when the passengers from the galleon and some twenty other
persons, who were probably the officers of the galley, landed and
disappeared among the streets of the city.

Then George Saint Leger arose from his place of concealment among the
long grass at the summit of the knoll, thinking deeply, and made his way
back to the camp, accompanied by the Cimarrone chief. As they entered
the camp George turned to his black companion and said:

"My thanks to you, Lukabela, for arousing me. The sight you showed me
was well worth looking at. Please God, before twelve hours are past
that ship and her cargo shall be mine; ay, and the galley too. For who
knows but that somebody aboard her may be able to give me news of my
brother."

The great bell of Panam