"For my friend has left the management of
everything in my hands, and I will see that you are all right. But I am
very glad that you have raised the point; for it has enabled me to see
that the proper thing will be to deposit a sufficient sum in an English
bank to cover the pay of all hands for a period of--well, say twelve
months. What do you say to that?"

"I say," answered Milsom, "that it will be quite the proper thing to do,
and will smooth away a very serious difficulty. But, Jack, my boy, has
it occurred to you that you will be running a good many quite
unnecessary risks by mixing yourself up in this affair? For you must
remember that we may be compelled to fight, before all is done; while,
if we are captured, it may mean years of imprisonment in a Spanish penal
settlement, which will be no joke, I can assure you, my lad!"

"Ah!" answered Jack. "To be quite frank, I had not thought of the last
contingency you mention. But `in for a penny, in for a pound'; I'll
take the risk, and trust to my usual good luck to keep me out of a
Spanish prison. The fact is, Phil, that I am fairly aching for a bit of
adventure, and I simply must have it."

"Very well," said Milsom grimly; "I think you have hit upon a most
excellent scheme for getting it! My advice to you, Jack, is to leave
the whole thing severely alone; but, whether you do or not, I am in it,
so please give me your orders. And, mind you, Jack, I take them from
you, and from nobody else."

"Very well," said Jack. "It may be necessary for you to modify that
resolution later on, but let that pass; at present, at all events, you
will receive all instructions from me, and regard me as the owner of the
vessel. Now the first thing to be done is to secure a good crew; and,
as I have told you precisely the kind of work that will have to be done,
I shall look to you to provide the right sort of officers and men. I
suppose you will have to give them a hint that they will be required to
do something more than mere everyday yachting work--and you must arrange
their pay accordingly; but, while doing this, you must be careful not to
let out the true secret, or it will not remain such for very long. And
you need not trouble to provide the engine-room staff; I think I can
manage that part of the business myself."

"I see," answered Milsom. "You wish me to engage merely the officers,
seamen, and stewards? Very well. How many guns will she carry?"

"Guns?" echoe