e
great flocks of galanasas (a species of buzzard) and condors hovering
over the beach; but at the moment paid no attention to them any more
than to think some dead body had been washed ashore on which
the scavengers were feeding. Hastily ascertaining that everything was in
order on board the sloop, he went to the roof to see how the sea
lion's skin was curing. To his intense disgust, he found nothing left
but the polished skull of the monster. The birds had torn it to
fragments and eaten it. The artistic expression of his overpowered
feelings at the discovery, would have frightened every galanasa and
condor from the coast had they been familiar with the English, French
or Spanish languages.

Orders were received from Lima to sink torpedoes as far out in Chorrilos
Bay as they could reach without being shot by the Chileans. As there
was only a lot of old Russian torpedoes on hand and no dynamite to
spare, Paul decided to set dummies, knowing they would have the same
effect on the Chileans, who would watch the work through their powerful
glasses, from San Lorenzo. He procured a lot of empty kegs and had
them painted a bright red. With these aboard, he pushed out as far as
safety permitted, and in an ostentatious manner placed them across
the entrance to the bay, so they would float within three feet of the
surface and were plainly visible through the transparent water. The
approach of a steamer from the seaward when the work was about finished,
caused them to hoist sail and stand in. The steamer opened fire
on the retreating sloop, but the shots fell short and her guns were
answered by those on El Punte. A few days after, they had the
satisfaction of seeing two Chilean men-of-war expending thousands of
dollars worth of ammunition at one of the empty kegs that had loosened
from its anchorage and showed on the surface. From that time, the
little sloop was frequently made a target by the enemy's long range
guns. One day while Boyton was lying under the awning of the sloop, he
heard a whizzing cannon ball strike the rocks above where they were
anchored. He leaped to his feet and scanned the sea in every direction;
but as the atmosphere was a little hazy, he could discover no vessel
from which the missile could have been thrown. Thinking that it was
possibly a chance shot from the fort, he paid no more attention to it,
until he was aroused by another one shrieking overhead and