and Spaniards, save Hernando, found temporary work on
neighbouring estates and plantations, and Morgan and his fellows of the
_Golden Boar_ had plenty of offers of employment; but they preferred to
abide together under the wing of Hernando, fearing to betray their
nationality by mixing separately and freely with the Spanish settlers.
Hernando for his part stuck loyally to them, and none of the others
said or did aught to bring suspicion upon their late comrades. The
fugitives longed and waited for a ship, hoping to get a passage in her
to some place off the mainland. It was by no means an unusual thing
for sailors to desert their ship when she touched at a port; some,
indeed, undertook a voyage with this end in view, the allurements of
the golden tropics proving stronger than any sense of duty.

At length a small ship arrived from Cuba, bringing a consignment of
Spanish goods from the depot at Santiago; she was to take back silver
bars for transhipment to Lisbon. Would the skipper give a passage to
seven strange sailors whose appearance was not too Spanish? It was
doubtful. Yet it turned out that he was only too glad to do so. More
than seven of his crew deserted, and went away to the west in search of
the silver mines from which the bars had come. Morgan always had a
shrewd suspicion that Hernando cleverly engineered the desertion for
the sake of his English friends. In any case the desertion took place
most opportunely, and the fugitives got the passage they desired. For
the sake of appearances both gentlemen adventurers played the part of
common sailors. At the last moment Hernando decided to go to Cuba with
them. He felt that a few months there would do him good, and help
certain keen-eyed people to forget his face. Moreover, he was
generously anxious to see the safety of the Englishmen more fully
assured.

The season was not the best in the year for sailing, and the voyage to
Santiago was a rough one. The new sailors behaved admirably; and
though the captain was more than a little suspicious of their
nationality, he said nothing and paid them well. Moreover, he was
largely instrumental in getting them a passage to Europe. Hernando's
tongue and the talismanic name of Drake did the rest.

The _Donna Philippa_ was a galleon of medium class, but well-built and
swift-sailing. She was attempting the Atlantic voyage in the winter
season, as the authorities preferred to trust her precious cargo to the
ch