daylight, so just halt where you are, lads.'

"As soon as the first ray of light showed we were off again, and an hour
later reached the edge of the slope down to the cove.

"'Now, remember,' the lieutenant said, 'that no woman is to be hurt.
All the men who resist are to be shot or cut down; but you are to take
prisoners all who throw down their arms. Some of them may be able to
prove themselves less guilty than the rest. At any rate, there is no
fear of the Spanish authorities being too merciful. These pirates have
been the scourge of these seas for the last six years.'

"Well, lad, there ain't much more to tell you. We took them completely
by surprise, and the men in the village were all knocked down and bound,
without firing a shot. The men in the batteries tried to slew their guns
round, but we didn't give 'em time. They fought desperately, for they
knew what their doom was, and there weren't any prisoners taken there.
As soon as the village was taken I went straight with Mr. Escombe to
the captain's house. His wife was standing at the door, and she gave
a little cry as she saw the British uniforms, and ran a step or two to
meet us, then she stopped, and her arms dropped by her side.

"'What! you, Peter!' she said as we came up. 'Is it you who led them
here?'

"'Yes, ma'am, it was me,' says I, 'and the best thing I could do for
you, for you could not wish to stay here all your life with just the
people that are here.'

"'But what has happened?' she said. 'How is it you are here? What has
become of the schooner?'

"'The schooner is sunk, ma'am, and the brig is captured.'

"'And my husband?'

"'Well, ma'am, don't you take on, but your husband went down with the
schooner.'

"She tottered, and I thought she would have fallen, but Mr. Escombe put
his arm round her and led her to the house and left her there, putting
two sailors on guard to see as she wasn't disturbed. An hour or two
later the frigate was off the cove, and the captain landed. We stopped
a week there, and carried off all there was worth taking; and I tell
you there was enough to give every man Jack on board a handsome share of
prize money when the things came to be sold afterward.

"Money, there was lots of it, all stored away in what they called the
treasure house, for money was no good there. Jewels and ornaments,
watches, and the things which they uses in them Catholic churches, and
all kinds of valuable things, and stores of silks and ve