t up, and
at high water full steam ahead, and if she don't come off then I'm a
double Dutchman."

"But what about the screw?"

"Them as hides can find, sir, which means them as tie can untie. I
think we can get her off, sir, if we put our backs into it. What say
you?"

"Get her off?" cried Fitz. "Of course we will!"

CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE.

BOARDING THE GUNBOAT.

That evening, followed by a heterogeneous fleet of about twenty small
vessels crammed with fighting men, the _Teal_ sailed again, and their
time of arrival was so contrived that dawn of the next morning but one
found the little fleet in delightfully calm weather forming a
semi-circle from one point of the shore to the other, the focus of its
radius being formed by the gunboat on the rocks.

The plans had been made on the voyage, and as there was plenty of water
for every vessel but the schooner, the latter's boats, well filled with
men, alone accompanied the rest.

It was an attack, but no defence, for as soon as the crew of the gunboat
realised the formidable nature and numbers of the expedition, they took
to the boats to try and escape to the shore. But the cliffs forbade
this, and after another attempt or two to get away, all surrendered and
gave up their arms, ready, as had been predicted, to begin cheering Don
Ramon, the officers as they gave up their swords humbly asking to be
allowed to retain their positions under the new Government, for there
seemed to be a general acceptation of the fact now that the petty war
was at an end.

Don Ramon's answer to this was to accept the services of the officers
and the best of the men. The rest were boated off to the mouth of the
river and set ashore.

"Ornamental, I call it," said Chips, as he sat forward in one of the
schooner's boats commanded by Poole, in which, as a matter of course,
Fitz had taken his place.

"What is, Chips?" said Poole. "Do you mean your head?"

"My head, sir," said the carpenter, staring. "Well, no, sir, I didn't
mean my head. 'Tain't a bad one as it goes, but I never set myself up
for a good-looking chap, one of your handsome sort. I allus left that
to the Camel here."

The men, who were resting on their oars, burst into a roar of laughter,
and the cook laughing as heartily as the rest and displaying his great
teeth, but his mirth was silent.

"Hark at him," he said. "Chips is a wonderful man for a joke."

"Nay, and I never set up as a joker either," said the