er dispersed into thin air.

Mr. Morton, with six hands in the jolly-boat, came on shore at the usual
time, bringing all the remainder of the cargo, which was hardly enough
to load two mules. Every thing was landed and loaded upon the mules
without interruption, excepting a small package containing silk
handkerchiefs, when suddenly a low whistle was heard in the bushes.

"What is that?" said Morton, who held the aforesaid package in his
hands.

"Santa Maria!" exclaimed the muleteers, springing upon their horses, and
putting them and the mules into rapid motion; "vienen los soldados
malditos," the d--d soldiers are coming; the signal was repeated, and in
an instant soldiers rushed from different parts of the adjacent bushes,
and surrounded the whole party. So sudden and complete was the surprise,
that the seamen, though standing in the edge of the water, were
intercepted and made prisoners. Morton, as soon as he perceived that
flight and resistance were equally out of the question, hailed the two
men in the boat that was lying a few yards from the shore, and ordered
them to make the best of their way to the ship--an order that was
acknowledged by the customary "ay, ay, sir," and obeyed by hoisting
their lug-sail, which, filled by a fresh land-breeze, soon carried them
out of danger. He, with the remaining four men, were made prisoners.
Whether the soldiers were not used to acting against cavalry, or thought
the prisoners of more consequence than the merchandise, is doubtful; the
mules and their drivers got off safe, although several shots were fired
at them as soon as their retreat was perceived.

Ascertaining that there was nothing more to be got on the field of
battle; for it was indeed one, as one of the sailors, feeling somewhat
restive under the tight grasp that the corporal laid upon his collar,
had bestowed upon that humble candidate for military honors a slap in
the face, that caused him, in the Nantucket dialect, to "blow blood;"
the guard took up their line of march through the wood with their five
prisoners. On their melancholy route towards the town, the commanding
officer of the party, mindful of the politeness and attention with which
he had been treated by Mr. Morton, behaved to his prisoners with great
kindness, and endeavored to console this officer by representing that
nothing had been found that would or could be deemed sufficient to
convict them of any attempt to violate the laws of the province; t