an who had not attempted to conceal the fact that
he intensely hated the very sight of us Englishmen.

The boats passed under the Spaniard's stern, and a few minutes later
Renouf appeared upon her poop with his sword drawn, and waved a signal
to Danton the second mate; whereupon a man was sent aloft to our royal-
yard, with instructions to keep a sharp look-out all round the horizon,
and to at once report the appearance of any strange sail that might
perchance heave in sight.

For close upon four hours the two craft remained thus hove-to, upon
opposite tacks, gradually drifting further apart, except when Danton saw
fit to fill upon the schooner from time to time for the purpose of again
closing with the Spaniard, never nearing her, however, closer than half
a mile to leeward; and during at least two hours of this time not a
trace of life was to be discovered on board the bigger ship. At length,
however, a slight movement became observable on board the _Santa
Theresa_; and presently we saw that tackles were being got up on the
main-topmast-stay and the lower yard-arms. The Spaniard's boats were
then hoisted out and lowered from the davits, until all of them appeared
to be in the water, when the long-boat was hauled alongside to leeward,
abreast the main hatchway; half a dozen men clambered down the side into
her; and, after a short interval which was probably employed in taking
off the hatches, it became apparent that they were hoisting cargo up out
of the _Santa Theresa's_ hold, certain selected bales and packages of
which were from time to time carefully lowered down into the long-boat;
a sight which went far toward confirming certain dreadful suspicions
that had been slowly taking shape within my mind from the moment when I
had seen Renouf, with his drawn sword, upon the Spanish ship's poop.

We now once more filled upon the schooner, and this time closed the
bigger ship to leeward within less than a cable's length, when we once
more hove-to, on the same tack as our neighbour, and a powerful tackle
was then got up on our lower yard-arm, and another on the triatic-stay.

By the time that these preparations were complete, the long-boat was
loaded as deeply as was prudent, and she was at once cast off and taken
in tow by four men in one of the schooner's boats, the next largest of
the _Santa Theresa's_ boats taking her place, for the reception of
further cargo. The weather was at this time quite fine, with a very
m