wish to reach the city until he could be
reasonably sure that its inhabitants were all abed and asleep, and in
the next place he was anxious to conserve his own and his followers'
strength as far as possible, knowing that many heavy demands would be
made upon it before long; he therefore paddled very quietly along,
hardly exerting himself at all and allowing the current to carry him
cityward. Thus the hour of one boomed out from the cathedral while they
were still a quarter of a mile from the inner extremity of the quay for
which they were aiming.

At length, however, drifting for the most part, and only swimming a
stroke or two occasionally to guide themselves, they reached the
extremity of the wharf, where they found a flight of steps at which they
landed. Here, in obedience to an order from George, the remainder of
the party crouched well below the level of the quay, while their leader
cautiously climbed the steps to reconnoitre. A single glance sufficed
to show that the whole length of the quay in sight--nearly half a mile--
was deserted, while not a light was to be seen in any direction. This
latter circumstance, however, was presently accounted for by the fact
that all the buildings facing the wharf were evidently warehouses, for
the most part one-storey buildings with broad verandahs reaching out
before them, undoubtedly for the purpose of protecting the workers from
the terrific heat of the mid-day sun. Now, however, under the moon's
rays, those verandahs, many of them cumbered with bales and cases of
merchandise, cast a deep, almost opaque shadow, of which George
instantly determined to avail himself; therefore, beckoning to his
followers, he made a dash across the staring moon-lighted quay to the
nearest verandah, and in less than three minutes all hands were huddled
in the deep shadow of a pile of bales.

Thus far all had gone well, they were actually in the city of Panama,
with never a soul a penny the wiser; and George felt that, having
accomplished so much, it would be strange indeed if he could not carry
the whole of his plans to fruition. But, great as their peril had been
already, that peril had, after all, been merely that of discovery; now
it was infinitely greater, for there they were, fourteen naked
Englishmen, unarmed save for a knife which each carried in a sheath
strapped to his waist, in a hostile city where, if they should be
caught, they might be certain of either the galleys--or worse