before I discovered that there was a mystery of some
sort attaching to the felucca that lay at anchor in the bay. I had made
more than one attempt to go on board her, with the object of giving her
an overhaul, but each attempt had been quietly met and frustrated in
such a way that I soon grew to understand I could not persist further
without exciting grave suspicion, which was the one thing of all others
that I most desired to avoid. For it was this felucca that I regarded
as my only possible means of escape from the pirates, and, that being
the case, it was of the utmost importance that I should do nothing to
betray the thought that lurked at the back of my mind. She was a fine,
sturdy-looking little craft, measuring somewhere about sixty tons; and I
felt that if I could but once get aboard her, and get enough sail
hoisted to take me out to sea, the most difficult part of my adventure
would be over; for Jamaica lay to leeward, and I could not very well
lose my way, even if I were compelled to go to sea without a chart. It
is true that the rig of a felucca--namely, a single latteen-sail, its
head stretched along an enormously long, tapering yard, hoisted to the
top of a stout, stumpy mast raking well forward--is not precisely the
rig that I would willingly choose to go to sea alone with; but beggars
must not be choosers, and it seemed to me to be Hobson's choice--that or
nothing. I must therefore make up my mind to face the difficulties of
the rig and do the best I could with it, or remain until Garcia's
return, and so miss my only chance. Of course, there was just the bare
possibility that I might find a man, or even two or three, willing to
share the adventure with me--for I could scarcely believe that every
member of the community had quite willingly joined it without compulsion
of any kind--but I had no intention of jeopardising my chances of
success by making inquiries, of however cautious a character. If such
men were to be found it would have to be almost by pure accident;
meanwhile it was for me to make my plans in such a manner that, if
necessary, they could be carried out single-handed.

But it was imperative that I should visit the felucca, by hook or by
crook; and since I had already discovered that it could not be managed
during the day, there was nothing for it but to make the attempt at
night. Now, I was in Pacheco's charge, he was responsible for me, and
although I was nominally free to come and