caneers to pass
freely; for if such a promise were not given, every one of those in
captivity would surely be killed by the sword or hanged.

The reply of Don Alonso was characteristic of the brave leader: "If you
had been as loyal to your king in hindering the entry of these pirates
as I shall be in preventing their going out, you had never brought this
trouble upon yourselves nor upon our nation, which has now suffered so
much through your cowardice. In a word, I shall never grant your
request, but shall endeavor to maintain to its fullest the respect which
is due to my king."

In deep despair over the result of their interview, the Spaniards
returned to their fellow-prisoners, and delivered to Captain Morgan the
admiral's answer. Morgan replied simply--"If Don Alonso will not give me
permission to pass, I must find a way of going without his consent."

In preparation for his dangerous voyage, Morgan gathered his men on
shore, and required them to bring to him all the spoils, of whatever
nature, they had taken on the cruise. When these were assembled, it was
found that besides a huge quantity of merchandise and a large number of
slaves, the buccaneers had acquired plate, jewels and money to the value
of two hundred fifty thousand pieces of eight. All of this magnificent
prize was divided among the buccaneers according to the agreements which
had been made before they began the expedition. Each man was permitted
to take his share with him upon his own vessel. Morgan made the
distribution of his spoils at this time in order not to risk the loss of
the entire treasure by the sinking of one ship, and in order that no one
faction of his party might succeed in carrying off all the plunder.

After everything was in readiness for the voyage, Morgan perfected a
little stratagem by which he hoped to make his escape more safely. He
announced to all his men that on a certain night they would sail through
the narrow channel, his own ship leading the way. On the day preceding
that night the Spaniards in the castle observed great activity in the
pirate fleet. Canoes and boats loaded with men left the ships and pulled
to the shore some distance away from the castle and on the side away
from the channel. Here, overhanging trees hid the boats from the
onlookers in the castle so that the latter were not aware that when the
boats returned from the shore the men, with the exception of one or two
who rowed, were lying concealed in the b