o the schooner--catch fire, or
something--for old Burgess was making it so hot for everybody that he
was glad to get away in the little boat."

"Off with you!" said Poole, and he and his companion hurried back
through the gathering mist.

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

WINKS'S SALLYS.

The distance back to the hacienda seemed short enough, and in
anticipation of his mission proving successful, the skipper had his
first boat's load told off ready for their start.

"Well done! Splendid!" he said to the lads. "Off with you back. Take
the command, Poole. Are you going again, Mr Burnett?"

"Yes, sir; of course."

Fitz turned sharply round when he was addressed, from where he was
standing with the carpenter, after noting that here and there at a
distance a tiny fire was burning, indicating the different posts between
them and the enemy, and just before Winks had come hurriedly up to him
and given him a nudge.

"I arn't got them set up yet, sir," he whispered, "but I've made four.
Not much to look at, but they will be all right. Two crossed sticks,
bamboos, blankets, and them Spanish hats. There's two Sallys and two
Guys. The Sallys has got the blankets right over the tops with the hats
down close. They looks just like old women a little way off.--Going
back again, sir?"

"Yes," replied Fitz. "We shan't be very long this time."

"All right, sir. I shall have the traps set by the time you come again.
My word! I should like to be there when the Span'ls finds they are
nothing but a set of paddies. I should like to hear the words they
said. It would be something pretty in bad Spanish, I'll be bound."

"Now, Mr Burnett," cried the skipper sharply, and somehow feeling as if
he were one of the schooner's officers, the middy hurried off, helping
to guide the party, consisting of Don Ramon's followers all but two, and
succeeding in reaching the wharf without an adventure, the boat coming
up at once on hearing their approach, and in a very short time loaded
gunwale down, gliding off along the swift stream.

"That's one lot," said Poole excitedly, as the stern of the boat
disappeared. "Well, we had no orders, but of course we've got to go
back for another lot and bring them down. I suppose we shall have them
here long before the empty boat returns from the schooner."

"It will be a stiff pull against the stream," said Fitz.

"Yes, but empty, and I made them fully understand that they were to
start back after sh