's
way."

"Name of God!" swore the gunner, which did no justice at all to an
amazement beyond expression.

"If you please," said Mr. Blood, and thereupon those gentlemen of Spain
were induced without further trouble beyond a musket prod or two to drop
through a scuttle to the deck below.

After that the rebels-convict refreshed themselves with the good things
in the consumption of which they had interrupted the Spaniards. To taste
palatable Christian food after months of salt fish and maize dumplings
was in itself a feast to these unfortunates. But there were no excesses.
Mr. Blood saw to that, although it required all the firmness of which he
was capable.

Dispositions were to be made without delay against that which must
follow before they could abandon themselves fully to the enjoyment of
their victory. This, after all, was no more than a preliminary skirmish,
although it was one that afforded them the key to the situation. It
remained to dispose so that the utmost profit might be drawn from it.
Those dispositions occupied some very considerable portion of the
night. But, at least, they were complete before the sun peeped over
the shoulder of Mount Hilibay to shed his light upon a day of some
surprises.

It was soon after sunrise that the rebel-convict who paced the
quarter-deck in Spanish corselet and headpiece, a Spanish musket on his
shoulder, announced the approach of a boat. It was Don Diego de Espinosa
y Valdez coming aboard with four great treasure-chests, containing each
twenty-five thousand pieces of eight, the ransom delivered to him at
dawn by Governor Steed. He was accompanied by his son, Don Esteban, and
by six men who took the oars.

Aboard the frigate all was quiet and orderly as it should be. She
rode at anchor, her larboard to the shore, and the main ladder on her
starboard side. Round to this came the boat with Don Diego and his
treasure. Mr. Blood had disposed effectively. It was not for nothing
that he had served under de Ruyter. The swings were waiting, and the
windlass manned. Below, a gun-crew held itself in readiness under the
command of Ogle, who--as I have said--had been a gunner in the Royal
Navy before he went in for politics and followed the fortunes of
the Duke of Monmouth. He was a sturdy, resolute fellow who inspired
confidence by the very confidence he displayed in himself.

Don Diego mounted the ladder and stepped upon the deck, alone, and
entirely unsuspicious. What should