ks of
their own ship, save when, now and then, one of them would lift a pair
of binoculars and bring them to bear upon some object ashore, ultimately
sweeping the entire horizon with them, and pausing for a moment to watch
this or that before laying them down again. Nobody, even if watching
the party continuously, would, from their actions, have suspected them
of taking the smallest interest in the doings of the Spanish Government
vessels.

Yet there was not a movement on board either the cruiser or the
gunboat--the torpedo boat was _hors de combat_ and of no further
interest to them--that was not being intensely watched by Milsom and
Jack; and presently the latter turned to Carlos and enquired:

"Got a pencil and paper about you, old chap?"

"Yes," answered Carlos; "I have my pocket-book. Why?"

"Then just stand by to jot down such letters as I may call out to you.
That gunboat's semaphore is at work again, and I feel curious to know
what it is that she wants to say. Ah! just so; it is the cruiser she
wants to talk to. Now, stand by."

The cruiser having acknowledged the "call", the _Tiburon's_ semaphore
began spelling out a message, each letter of which Jack read off and
called out as it was signalled. When the message came to an end Carlos
read it out and translated it into English. It ran as follows:--

"Fear there is something wrong with my engines also. Have tried to turn
them by hand, aided by forty-five pounds of steam, and cannot move them
more than an inch or so either way."

The cruiser had no reply to make to this disquieting piece of
information; but a minute or two later four sailors ran out upon her
boat boom and climbed down the Jacob's ladder hanging therefrom into one
of the boats, which they cast off and paddled to the gangway ladder,
where two officers were by this time waiting. These two individuals at
once stepped into the boat, which thereupon was shoved off and pulled
alongside the gunboat.

"A lieutenant and one of the engineers from the cruiser gone aboard to
investigate," commented Milsom. "Now, keep your eye on the gunboat's
semaphore, Jack; we shall probably get a little further interesting
information presently."

They did not, however, for the gunboat's semaphore remained dumb. But
the two visitors from the cruiser presently re-appeared, tumbled down
over the side into their boat, and were rapidly rowed back to their own
ship. Ten minutes later a stream of smoke began