ns; they move as noiselessly as cats."

The Spaniard went to the fore-part of the ship, and three Indians
behind him in single file. The other three moved stealthily from bench
to bench and awoke their fellows. Hardly a sound had been made. The
three sailors from the _Golden Boar_ and Master Jeffreys crawled above
deck; Morgan remained in command below.

Minutes passed. A slight sound of a scuffle, a cry, came faintly from
the fore-deck. Then dead silence fell again. Time flew on. The tide
was beginning to run out; the galley swung with it. The Indians,
stolid enough as a rule, began to fidget on their seats. A lantern
appeared at the fore end of the rowers' pit. Jeffreys came along.

"Well?" asked Morgan anxiously.

"Ugh! an ugly business. Not a man lives of the crew or guard in the
fore-part of the vessel. Hernando's knives and Indian fingers have
done their deadly work. Are all awake?"

"Not the Europeans."

"Awaken them; here's a hammer and chisel; get their chains off.
Hernando and his Indians are gone to the after-deck to block up the
cabin doors. Our three boys are at the anchor. Keep this lantern. We
have padded the hawse-hole, but there'll be some noise getting the
anchor up. Have the rowers ready for my signal."

There was soon clatter and even clamour amongst the slaves, and Morgan
had much ado to keep the wilder ones from shouting and running on deck.
One Spaniard who tried to do so, intent upon robbery, was promptly
knocked down. "You're not safe yet," cried Johnnie; "you're still in
harbour and under the fort guns; you'll sit down and row, or go
overboard to the sharks." The fellow poured out a torrent of foul
language, but the Englishman's fist was hard, his own oar-comrades were
against him, so he sat down and made ready for work.

"Ready?"--Jeffreys' voice.

"Yes."

The anchor rattled on the deck.

"Pull for life and liberty!" called Morgan.

A great sigh ran along the benches; dark figures swayed in the faint
light; the splash of oars sounded above the lap of the tide; the great
galley was under way and going seawards. The time was some minutes
short of midnight.

Panama was asleep. The men rowed slowly, making as little noise as
possible until clear of the swarm of canoes and small craft that hung
about in the bay. Then they went to work with a will. The oars
creaked and groaned; the vessel rolled to the ocean swell. The
officers awoke in their cabins only to f