abled them to husband their strength for the
struggle that probably lay before them.

Shaping a course that would carry them about a hundred yards ahead of
the galleon, the flotilla, as soon as they reached this point, separated
into two divisions, larboard and starboard, and turning head to wind,
laid in their oars, all but a single pair to each boat, and while the
men manipulating these two oars guided their respective craft in such a
manner as to cause them to drive gently down before the wind and sea
alongside the galleon, the remainder of the boats' crews looked to their
weapons and made ready to climb the vessel's lofty sides, intently
watching meanwhile for any indication that their approach had been
detected by the Spaniard's crew. But nothing was seen, no warning shout
was heard, no head showed peering curiously over the head rails, in fact
everything seemed to point to the fact that the watch was asleep, if
indeed a watch was being kept at all, which the Spaniards would be
likely to regard as quite unnecessary in waters where hitherto no enemy
had ever appeared.

A few minutes more of patient, carefully managed drifting, and the boats
were skilfully manoeuvred alongside, one after the other, and then, at a
low whistle from the young captain, the adventurers went swarming up the
towering sides of the galleon, as noiselessly as a drifting mist wreath,
and in over the lofty bulwarks, in the shadow of which they formed up,
bare-footed, as they came. Within a minute all hands, with their scanty
baggage, were out of the boats, and the latter were cast adrift, while
thus far not a Spaniard had been seen. Then, choosing half a dozen men
to follow him, and directing Dyer and Basset to form the remainder into
a strong guard over the hatchways, George led the way aft into the poop
cabins.

The first apartment visited was the grand saloon, a fine, spacious,
lofty apartment of the full width of the ship, most sumptuously
furnished and decorated, lighted during the day by three large ports on
either side, and a skylight overhead--all now open to admit the
comparatively cool night wind--and during the night by a large and very
handsome silver lamp suspended from the beams. That lamp was now
burning, but turned low; and George's first act was to turn it up so
that he might have the advantage of its full illumination to look about
him. The walls and bulkheads were decorated with a number of pictures
that to the eye of