in an ecstasy of
mingled hope and despair; "Courtenay and I will make good our escape
before your father's return, even if we have to take to the sea in an
open boat."

"And where would you go in your open boat, supposing that you could
secure one, and could make good your escape from the shore?" asked Inez.

"We should head for Jamaica, and take our chance of being picked up by a
friendly craft," I replied.

"And supposing that you were _not_ picked up by a friendly craft?"
persisted my fair questioner.

"In that case," said I rather ruefully, "we should have to push on,
taking our chance as to wind and weather, and also as to our being able
to hit Jamaica. It is only some twelve hundred miles or so across, and
with favourable weather and a good boat we might accomplish the run in
from ten days to a fortnight."

"_A fortnight! in an open boat_!" exclaimed Inez. "Oh no, Leo, that
would never do! You must not attempt it; the risk is far too great. It
were better that you should remain here prisoners than that you should
lose your lives in any such desperate attempt as that. Let me think.
You want to get to Jamaica, do you not? And to get there safely you
must be conveyed there in a vessel. Ha! I have it. Eugenia, when does
your brother sail?"

"In about a week hence, so he told me yesterday," was the answer.

"A week hence! that is too late," exclaimed Inez. "Send for him, and
tell him to call at the castle early to-morrow morning, without fail."

I inquired who and what this brother of Eugenia's might happen to be,
and was informed that he was the owner and master of a small felucca
which traded regularly between La Guayra and Santiago de Cuba, and that
by a lucky chance his vessel happened at that moment to be lying in the
former port. This was eminently satisfactory, as I did not doubt for a
moment that an arrangement might be come to whereby we could get him to
run us directly across to Port Royal, we of course undertaking to insure
him and his craft against capture during the run and on arrival there.
There was a fair amount of prize-money due to us from the Jean Rabel
affair; and even if it had not yet been awarded I felt certain that we
could raise cash enough upon it to defray the expenses of the trip.

On the following morning, whilst we were at the workshop, the two girls
made their appearance, accompanied by a hearty, honest-looking young
fellow, who was introduced to us as Juan Gonzalez,