ashore I will have the cases got up from
the hold."

"No," said Don Ramon; "you must do it now. Have them up on deck so that
my people can bear them ashore as soon as we reach the wharf."

"It shall be done," said the skipper quietly. "All that I require is
your authority, that you take them in charge."

"I give you my authority before all your witnesses," replied Don Ramon
proudly; "and I take them in charge. Is that sufficient?"

"Quite, sir. Mr Burgess, you will lay the schooner alongside the
wharf. Pass the word for the carpenter and eight or ten men. I want
these tarpaulins and hatches off. Order your men back, Don Ramon. I
want room for mine to work."

It was a busy scene that followed. Sails were lowered, for they were
close in now; hammers were ringing; the way down into the hold was laid
bare; tackle was rigged up; and by the time the schooner lay alongside a
fairly-made wharf, a dozen long white cases bound with hoop-iron lay
piled up upon the deck, while dozens more lay waiting to take their
place. The excitement was tremendous; the wharf and its approaches were
crowded by an enthusiastic mob, eager and clamouring for arms, which
during the next hour were lavishly supplied, along with a sufficiency of
ammunition, with the result that Don Ramon's little force had grown into
a well-armed crowd, so full of enthusiasm that they gave promise, if not
of victory, of making a desperate defence.

At last, with the help of those who seemed to be among the chief people
of the place, the little army, well-armed, was marched away from the
waterside to take up strategic positions under Don Ramon's instructions,
after which he returned to where the skipper and his men had opened
another hatch and were busily hoisting up the little battery of
six-pounder field-guns, with their limbers, everything being of the
newest and most finished kind. These, with their cases of ammunition,
proving much heavier than they looked, were swung round from the deck
with the tackle necessary and landed upon the wharf, where they were
seized upon at once by the Don's roughly-selected artillery-men, and at
last dragged off by teams of mules to the places of vantage where they
were to be stationed; and all amidst a scene of the wildest enthusiasm.

As the last gun was landed, hastily put together, and seized and dragged
away by a human team, Don Ramon came back from the shore, palpitating
with emotion, and hurrying to where the s