hose vessels lying inshore?"

"I guess, they have olive oil on board, the chief on 'em. But there are
two double lateens come in from Valparaiso the day before yesterday,
with hides and copper. How they 'scaped the British, I can't tell, but
they did, that's sure enough."

"Good-night, then."

"You won't take a glass of sling this fine night, with a countryman?"

"To-morrow, my good fellow, to-morrow; we must go on shore now."

Our hero and Gascoigne returned on board the _Rebiera_, consulted with
Oxbelly and Mesty, and then manned and armed the two quarter and stern
boats. They thought it advisable not to hoist out their long-boat; no
fire-arms were permitted to be taken lest, going off by accident or
otherwise, an alarm should be given. Our hero and Mesty proceeded in
the first boat, and pulled in for the town; Gascoigne shortly after in
the second, and the boatswain, in the jolly-boat, followed at some
distance.

There was no notice taken of them; they pulled gently down to the
landing-place, which was deserted. There was a blaze of light, and the
sounds of revelry in every quarter on shore; but the vessels appeared
equally deserted as the American ones in the offing.

Finding themselves unobserved, for they had taken the precaution to pull
only two oars in each boat, they dropped gently alongside one of the
double-masted lateen vessels, and Mesty stepped on board. He peeped
down in the cabin, and perceived a man lying on the lockers; he came up
in his stealthy manner, closed the hatch softly, and said, "all right."
Jack left Gascoigne to take out this vessel, which he did very
successfully, for it was very dark; and although there were sentries
posted not far off, their eyes and ears were turned towards the town,
listening to the music.

A second vessel, her consort, was boarded in the same way, but here they
found a man on deck, whom they were obliged to seize and gag. They put
him down in the cabin, and Mesty, with another boat's crew, cut her
cables and swept her gently out towards the American vessels. One more
vessel was required, and Jack, pulling two oars as usual, saluted a
galliot heavily laden, but of what her cargo consisted was not known.
In this vessel they found two men in the cabin playing cards, whom they
seized and bound, and cutting her cables were obliged to make sail upon
her, as she was much too large to sweep out. As they were making sail
they, however, met with an interruptio