ad situation."

"There's no denying it," remarked her brother with a grave face; "they
will wait till night and then dash upon us from several sides at the
same time; the hour or two before the moon rises will be their
opportunity."

"But why," was the natural feminine inquiry, "does General Yozarro
molest us? He has always claimed to be your friend, and, until today,
has treated us both with courtesy. What pretext can he offer for his
course?"

"While there is little in his excuse, it will doubtless be that the
owner of this yacht captured his flimsy tug which he persists in
calling a gunboat, or rather that I stole it, for which offence he
means to punish me."

"Will he not in the end have to reckon with our government?"

"Yes, but he must first reckon with _us_; the affair is a ridiculous
one in which to involve the United States, and I shall not feel proud
of my part, if forced to make the appeal; but General Yozarro will
find it is no child's play in which he engages when he attacks us. We
have not a very full supply of small arms on board, but we shall make
things lively for him."

When night closed in, the relative position of the two craft was
unchanged. Every possible preparation was made on the yacht, for there
could be no doubt of the hostile intentions of the Atlamalcans. A
small boat was seen to leave its side and pass to the southern shore.
Followed through the glasses, it disclosed two seamen swaying the
oars, but when it returned after a brief absence, it held six
passengers. The crew of the crippled tug was fast growing and General
Yozarro had certainly made good use of his time.

The twelve-pounder of the _Warrenia_ was loaded to the muzzle. Six
rifles were distributed among the men, several of whom had revolvers
and all knives. Lookouts were placed at all points. The conviction was
that during the brief period of gloom before the rising of the moon,
two or three or possibly more small boats, crowded with armed men,
would dash simultaneously upon the grounded craft and strive
desperately to board her.

The sanguinary fight that impended, with the certain loss of life on
both sides, could be averted by a surrender, which calm judgment would
have justified under the peculiar circumstances, but it was not
strange that even Miss Starland and Aunt Cynthia hinted nothing of
that nature. As for the officers and crew, they eagerly awaited the
conflict with a band whom they despised. Although greatly