it ought to have been hoisted nearly two hours ago.
And if the Spaniards had grown into the lazy habit of not hoisting it
every day, why had they taken the trouble to do so on this particular
morning? Was it done to indicate the defiance of George's threat?--for
the latter had no doubt that his letter had by this time reached Don
Silvio's hands.

He considered the matter for a few moments, and presently came to the
conclusion that if the hoisting of the flag was intended to convey Don
Silvio's defiance, it could do no harm to reply to it by shifting his
berth to a spot more convenient than the present one for the purpose of
a bombardment; he had very little doubt that the significance of the
movement would be fully understood not only by Don Silvio, but also by
the townsfolk generally; and he held the belief that in dealing with an
antagonist it is always well to make it clear to him at the outset that
you are in deadly earnest and mean every word you say. He had known
cases where quarrels had assumed a most serious and irreconcilable form
simply because each party had believed the other to be pretending to be
more in earnest than he really was. Therefore, since the men were now
doing nothing particular and it would be an advantage to them to acquire
a working knowledge of their new ship as early as possible, George
issued an order for the canvas to be loosed and the cable to be hove
short preparatory to getting the galleon under way.

This was done with very commendable celerity by the men, considering
that they were quite new to the ship; and in about twenty minutes the
great hempen cable was "up and down," and the sail-trimmers were sent to
the sheets and halliards to sheet home and hoist away. Five minutes
later the anchor was out of the ground and the _Cristobal Colon_ was
adrift and canting.

It was at this moment that Basset, the captain of soldiers, who had in
turn been amusing himself with George's glass, shouted:

"Do 'e see that. Captain? Thicky galley that we passed in harbour last
night, her be comin' out. Do 'e think she'm comin' to attack we?"

"Maybe," answered George. "I can't tell. But whether she be or not, we
must be ready for her. For she must not be allowed to escape. If she
is not sent to attack us, she must be going in search of assistance; and
we must not allow her to slip past us if we can possibly help it. Let
me have that glass, if you please, and, Mr Basset, get your men unde