below, and the skipper took a turn or
so up and down the deck, thinking deeply, while the two lads went and
settled themselves down aft to keep a keen look-out for any danger that
might approach, and naturally dropped into conversation, first about the
fight, a subject which they thoroughly exhausted before they began a
debate upon their position.

"What's to be done, eh?" said Poole, in response to a question. "I
don't know. We are regularly boxed up--trapped. You heard what was
said, and here we are. We can't attempt to sail out in the daylight
because Don Cousin would sink us as sure as his great gun, and we can't
sneak out in the dark because, even if we got a favourable wind, old
Burgess couldn't find the way."

"We might take to the boats, and slip off as soon as it was dark, and
row along close in shore. We should be out of sight long before
daybreak, and join Don Ramon at Velova."

"Exactly," said Poole sarcastically; "and leave a note on the binnacle,
`With father's compliments to Don Cousin, and he begged to make him a
present of the smartest little schooner, just as she stands, that ever
crossed the Atlantic.' Likely, isn't it?"

"Oh no," said Fitz hurriedly. "Of course that wouldn't do."

"Oh, I don't know," said Poole, in the same mocking vein. "It doesn't
do to be in too much of a hurry over a good idea. There, you wait till
the dad turns and is coming back this way, and then you go and propose
it to him."

"Likely, as you say," said Fitz, with a laugh. "But look here, what is
to be done?"

"I only know of one thing," replied Poole; "keep a strict watch for the
next prank they will play, and beat them off again till they get tired
and give it up as a bad job."

"That they will never do," said Fitz decidedly. "Think they could land
and get up on one of these cliffs from the shore side, and pick us off
by degrees with their rifles?"

"No," said Poole, leaning back and gazing upwards. "I think that would
be impossible."

"Well," said Fitz, "what do you say to this? Man the boats after dark,
row out to the gunboat, board her, and take her. Now, I think that
would be grand."

"Oh yes, grand enough; but she's a man-of-war with small guns as well as
the big one, and a large, well-drilled crew. No, no, they would be too
keenly on the watch. I don't believe we could do that. I've a good
mind to mention it, though, to father. No, I won't. He'd have thought
of that, and he'd only loo