once made; and led, as described, to the rescue of
his companion from his perilous position.

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.

A DEED A LA CORTEZ.

Notwithstanding the alarm given by the schooner, the barges of Galeana
found no difficulty in effecting a landing upon the isle--but on the
opposite side to that where the war vessel lay. The stormy night
favoured the attempt; the garrison of La Roqueta not dreaming that on
such a night any attack would be made upon the fort.

Lantejas still remained unconscious; and, when at last he came to his
senses, he found himself on land, the branches of tall trees extending
over him, through which the wind was whistling with all the fury of a
tempest. The rustling of the leaves was the sweetest melody he had ever
heard: since it told him he was once more on _terra firma_--though at
the same time the thunder rolling around appeared to shake the
foundations of the isle.

On awakening to consciousness, he looked around him. He saw men
reclining, or sitting in groups--most of them with arms in their hands.
He recognised them as the people of the expedition.

Costal, asleep, was lying upon the ground close at hand.

"Where are we, Costal?" inquired Lantejas, after rousing the Indian from
his slumber.

"Where? _Por Dios_! where should we be, but on the isle of Roqueta?"

"But how did we get ashore?"

"Easily enough, Senor Capitan. We had no opposition to contend against.
Not one of the Spanish garrison suspects our presence here; for who
would think of sixty men venturing to sea on such a night as this? We
shall take the enemy completely by surprise."

"And what hinders the Marshal from attacking them now?"

"We have not yet found them. We neither know where the fort is, nor
where we are ourselves. Don't you see that the night is as dark as the
inside of a cannon, and one can't make out his finger before him?
They're safe enough while this storm lasts; and, by good luck, so are
we."

It was in truth to the storm that the Mexicans owed their present
security. Few in numbers, and ignorant of the locality in which they
had landed, an attack by the troops of the garrison might have proved
fatal to them. Thanks to the tempestuous character of the night, they
had not only found an opportunity of debarking on the isle, but time to
mature their plans for assaulting the fort.

It was now about four in the morning, and the wind, still blowing with
all its fury, was causing the