to the statement
of its inventor or designer, given fine weather and smooth water for
four hours, the vessel's appearance could be so completely changed that
"her own mother wouldn't know her."

Having duly admired Milsom's ingenuity, Jack explained in detail the
reason why he and Carlos had advanced the time of their arrival, and
disclosed his scheme for the temporary disablement of the three men-o'-
war in the harbour, into which scheme Milsom entered with the utmost
gusto, even going to the length of rousing poor Macintyre out of his
berth and ruthlessly breaking in upon his beauty sleep, in order that
the parties might have the benefit of the chief engineer's advice and
assistance. And when at length the little band of conspirators broke up
at midnight and turned in, the plan of campaign had been arranged, down
to the last detail.

After all, there was not very much to be done in the way of preparation;
a couple of hours' work next day by Macintyre and his crew at the
portable forge down in the stokehold, and everything was ready for the
work which was to commence as soon as possible after ten o'clock that
night. There was only one difficulty that still remained to be
overcome, and that was the evading of the vigilance of the custom-house
officers, who still remained on board the yacht. It is true that that
vigilance had been very greatly relaxed of late, since it had been borne
in upon even their limited intelligence that nothing remotely resembling
an attempt to smuggle anything ashore had ever been made; still, it
would be awkward in the extreme if one or more of them should happen to
be troubled with insomnia on that particular night, and elect to pass
the sleepless hours on deck: but Don Hermoso might be trusted to attend
to that matter when he should arrive on board about four o'clock, or a
little after, as he did, accompanied by Senora Montijo and Dona Isolda.
The difficulty was explained to Don Hermoso during the progress of
afternoon tea, which refreshment was partaken of on the top of the deck-
house that adjoined the navigating bridge of the vessel; and after the
meal was over, Carlos went ashore in the steam pinnace and brought off a
small phial of liquid that looked and tasted like water. Then, the fact
having been elicited from the chief steward that the custom-house
officers had evinced a very marked preference for whisky over the
aguardiente of their native land, a bottle of the former was open