ladder toward the engine-room, the steam from the blow-
off at the same moment roaring through the safety valves with violence
enough to scare a nervous person out of his wits. The quartermaster,
keeping a level head in the midst of the hubbub, promptly ported his
helm and turned the yacht's head toward the open sea, and the little
craft at once, as though entering thoroughly into the spirit of the
thing, began to roll her rails under as the sea caught her square abeam.
The Spanish seamen and marines, startled into sudden activity by the
commotion, sprang to their feet, and, after glancing about them for an
instant with scared faces, made a dash with one accord for the boats,
and were only with difficulty restrained from lowering them, and driven
away from the davits by a strong party of the yacht's crew, under
Perkins, aided by Jack and Villacampa. Taking the affair "by and
large", Macintyre had certainly very effectively fulfilled his promise
to produce "a perfectly gorgeous breakdown!"

Lieutenant Villacampa was, of course, naturally very anxious to learn
the extent of the damage, and how far it was likely to interfere with
his execution of the duty confided to him by his superiors; and the poor
fellow wrung his hands in despair when Macintyre presently came on deck
with a big bolt smashed in two in his hand and, with a great show of
indignation, informed the Spaniard in broad Scotch--of which, of course,
the poor fellow did not understand a word--that some unknown scoundrel
had surreptitiously withdrawn nine such bolts from a certain coupling,
and that the other three had, as a natural consequence, gradually
sheered through under the excessive strain thrown upon them; and that
for his part he was only surprised that the machinery had brought them
as far as it had without giving out: and that, furthermore, since it
would be necessary to make twelve new bolts to replace those missing and
destroyed, it would be several hours, at the earliest, before the yacht
could again be brought under control. All of which Jack, struggling
valiantly against a violent disposition to laugh uproariously,
translated to the unhappy Spanish lieutenant. Then, to add still
further to that officer's chagrin and disappointment, the yacht, with
the Spanish ensign and pennant snapping from gaff-end and masthead in
the roaring trade wind, drove slowly but steadily past the mouth of
Mulata Bay, and the young man had the mortification of catchi