R TEETH.

"When we have escaped," cried Fitz excitedly, a few minutes later, a
very brief time having sufficed to shut out the cutter and gunboat too.

"Escaped!" said Poole, with a little laugh, as he clapped his companion
on the shoulder. "Well, _we_ have."

"Yes, yes, of course," said Fitz; "I meant you. But what will be done
now? We are--you are regularly shut in this bay. The gunboat will keep
guard, and her boats will begin patrolling up and down so that you can't
get away. It only means waiting till morning."

"Waiting till morning, eh?"

"Of course. And then they'll sink you as sure as you are here."

"Yes," said Poole, laughing merrily; "not a doubt about it."

"Well," said Fitz, "I don't see anything to laugh at."

"Don't you? Then I do. Why, you don't suppose for a moment that we
shall be here? The fellows in that fishing-boat brought father some
despatch orders for a _rendezvous_ somewhere else, I should say. Just
you wait a little, my boy, and you will see what the _Teal_ can do. She
can't dive, but she can dodge."

"Dodge in a little bay like this--dodge a gunboat?"

"Of course. Just wait till it's a little darker. I dare say father has
got his plans all ready made, just the same as he had when it seemed all
over just now. If he and old Burgess were too much for the Spanish dons
in broad daylight, you may depend upon it that they will give them the
go-by in the dark. Quiet! Here he is."

"Yes, here I am, my boy," said the skipper quietly. "Look here, you
two. Hear--see--as much as you can:--and say nothing. Everything on
board now must be quiet, and not a light seen."

"All right, father," replied Poole, "but I can't see anything of the
gunboat's lights."

"No, and I don't suppose you will. They will take care not to show any.
Well, Mr Burnett, may I trust you not to betray us by shouting a
warning when the enemy are near? We are going to play a game of
hide-and-seek, you know. We shall do the hiding, and the Spaniards will
have to seek. Of course you know," he continued, "it would be very easy
for you to shout when we were stealing along through the darkness, and
bring the enemy's boats upon us just when they are not wanted."

"Well, yes, sir, I was thinking so a little while ago," replied the
middy.

"Well, that's frank," said the skipper; "and is that what I am to expect
from your sense of duty?"

Fitz was silent.

"Well, sir," he said at last, "I don't quite