, named Panza--I took the blame
of something that he did one day, when he was a fellow-prisoner, and was
flogged instead of him, he being at the time a'most dead with fever,
he's a fisherman, and lives in the little village of Albornos, some four
miles out of Cartagena; he'll do anything for me. He don't know--nobody
exceptin' the prison authorities knows--that I was shipped off aboard
the _Magdalena_; so all I've got to do is to get ashore and make my way
to his hut, tellin' him that I've escaped from prison--which God knows
is the truth,--and he'll hide me as long as I like to stay with him, and
tell me all the news into the bargain."

"Well, perhaps that might be managed--if you are not afraid to venture
back among your enemies," said I.

"Lord bless you, sir, I ain't afraid! not a bit of it," answered Hoard.
"The priests and soldiers believes me to be aboard the _Magdalena_; so,
as long as I keeps out of their sight--which I'll take precious good
care to do--I shall be all right."

"Very well, then," said I; "we can settle the details of your scheme
later on. The next question is: How am I to get a view of Cartagena
harbour?"

"Ah, sir! that'll be a very difficult and dangerous matter," was the
reply. "And yet," he continued correcting himself, "I don't know but
what it may be done without so very much risk a'ter all, if the weather
is but favourable. But the only way that you could do it would be to
land durin' the night on Tierra Bomba, and remain on the island all day,
viewin' the harbour from the top of a hill that stands pretty nearly in
the centre of the island. You'd have to conceal yourself among the
bushes; and as there are very few people movin' about on the island
you'd not be so very likely to be seen. Then the boat 'ud have to come
ashore for you next night; and the schooner 'ud have to be kept well in
the offing during the daytime."

"Should I be able to obtain a good, uninterrupted view of the harbour
from the point you name?" I demanded.

"First-rate, sir; couldn't be better," answered Hoard. "The harbour 'ud
be spread out like a map below ye, and you'd see from one end to t'other
of it; ay, and you'd see the galleon herself, lying in the small inner
harbour."

"Then I'll risk it," exclaimed I decisively. "There is a new moon
coming on in about a week's time, so that the nights will be dark, and
therefore favourable to our adventure. Thank you, Hoard; that is all I
want with you no