nned as these were, she
was gliding through the water at a fair rate. It was five minutes
before another breath of wind came, but this lasted three or four
minutes, and greatly relieved the strain from the hawsers.

"She is going through the water now," the captain said. "They
cannot be gaining very much upon us, at present.

"Confound it!" he added, a minute later. "There is an end of it
again."

The boats were now but half a mile away, and the voices of the
officers, urging the rowers to exert themselves, could be plainly
heard, On the Swan the officers were all gazing in the direction
from which the wind was to come. The yards were all braced sharply
aft. Presently there was an exclamation of relief, as they felt the
wind in their faces, and the vessel heeled a little over. The boats
behind were but a quarter of a mile away now, while those from the
vessels inshore were perhaps twice that distance.

"If this is the true breeze we are safe," the captain said. "If
not, we shall have to fight for it."

The men had already, without orders, cast loose the guns, and armed
themselves with pike and cutlass.

"Now listen, lads," the captain said, as he went forward to the
poop rail, "if these fellows come up and try to board us, let no
man utter a word. Fight like bulldogs, and as silently. We shall
beat them off, never fear. No doubt they believe that we are their
countrymen, who have broken their trading regulations, and are
afraid of being overhauled. But if there is a word spoken they will
know that we are foreigners, and we shall be chased wherever we
go."

Then he went to the forecastle, and bade all the men in the boats
cast off the hawsers and come on board. They were, indeed, no
longer of any use, as the vessel was going through the water almost
as fast as they could row ahead of her. As they gained the deck he
repeated the orders he had given--that strict silence should be
observed, in case the Spaniards came alongside.

Everything now depended on continuance of breeze, and those on
board the boats saw that the vessel was now holding her own with
them. Orders to throw the ship up into the wind and heave to were
shouted and, as no attention was paid to these, several musket
shots were fired at her; but the wind held and, faster and faster,
the Swan made her way through the water. At last the boats fell
behind, and were lost to sight.

"We are safe now," Reuben said, exultantly. "We are to windward of
th