fast-scurrying clouds, between which the stars
and moon blinked down upon them intermittently. They were no sooner
clear of the land than they began to look about them for the ship, and
within a few minutes they caught sight of her signal lanterns about
eight miles distant, dead to leeward. After that everything went quite
smoothly; they hoisted their own signal lamp, and bore away dead before
the wind, leaving it to the ship to pick them up, which she did about an
hour later.

Their shipmates manifested the utmost interest in their return, all
hands mustering on deck to see the boat come alongside and hear the
news. When, upon the boat being brought to the lee gangway, Dick led
the way up the side, he was met at the entrance port by Bascomb, Winter,
Dyer, and Harvey, each of whom at the same instant fired at him the
question:

"Where is the Captain?"

"Lost--taken, I fear," answered Dick. "He left us four nights ago,
intending to make his way into the city of Cartagena, for the purpose of
learning precisely when the galleon is to sail, together with any other
information which he might be able to pick up. His instructions were
that I was to await his return until midnight to-night, and if he then
failed to return it would be because something untoward had happened to
him, in which case I was to rejoin the ship at once and report to you,
when you would act according to your discretion after consulting
together."

For a moment there was a dead silence; then Bascomb turned to his fellow
officers, and said:

"My masters, this loss of our general is a very serious matter, and
needs looking into. Let us all, therefore, retire to the cabin and hear
what Mr Chichester has to tell us about it; after which, as was
arranged when Captain Marshall left us six nights ago, we must all
consult together and decide what our next step is to be. Come then,
gentlemen, to the cabin. Mr Chichester, you will be pleased to
accompany us."

Therewith the three principal officers of the ship and the two gentlemen
adventurers retired to the great cabin, where, seated upon the lockers,
and with Dick occupying a chair in front of them, the tale was told of
all that had befallen the boat and its crew, from the moment of her
departure to that of her return, including the several expeditions to
the top of the hill on Tierra Bomba, and the drawing of the chart.

"And where is that chart now?" demanded Bascomb. "Have you it, or did
Cap