d be seen from her deck, it
was believed that the enemy had suffered pretty severely. The flying
artillery continued along the edge of the cliffs and occasionally fired
a shot, but at last, the ground sloping, and being rough and uneven, and
covered with trees, they were unable to make way, and wheeling round,
disappeared, a shot from Long Tom, which had been brought to bear on
them, making them gallop off at the top of their speed.

As it was now growing dusk and the wind had fallen, the _Supplejack_
came to an anchor. Tom and Gerald had, in the meantime, got a change of
clothes and enjoyed a hearty meal, which they acknowledged they greatly
wanted. Jack had desired them to go to his cabin, and by the time he
could leave the deck he found them sitting there, laughing and talking
if nothing very particular had occurred.

"Well, my boys, you don't seem much the worse for your adventures," he
said, as he took his seat at the table.

"No, sir," answered Gerald. "The swim was the worst part of them;
indeed, had it not been for Tom, I believe I should have sunk before the
boat could have picked us up."

"I want you to tell me all that happened to you; how you escaped from
the gauchos who, we heard, carried you off, and how you managed to make
your way to the river, which we, by the bye, always thought that you
would do if you could."

"Are we to begin from the first?" asked Tom.

"Yes," answered Jack. "I should like to hear all about it, and how the
gauchos did not kill you at first."

"I am sure I thought that they would when I found one of their long
lassos round my waist, and myself hauled along till the breath was
nearly squeezed out of my body. The fellow who caught hold of me,
however, dragged me quickly upon his saddle, and galloped away like the
wind. I saw that Gerald was treated in the same manner, and though I
was sorry for him, I must confess that I was glad to have a companion in
my misfortune. I fancy that the fellows thought they had got hold of
two very important personages. Away we went for some twenty miles or so
without drawing rein, when we found that we had reached the camp of
General Rosas. Had he been at Obligado, I suspect that his troops would
not have run away so soon. Our captors carried us at once into his
presence, and were somewhat disappointed by finding that we were only a
couple of midshipmen, and not the important personages they supposed.

"The general, however, told the