less as before, so far as
we were concerned, for Brujas Island was uninhabited, and separated from
the mainland by two channels which, although only narrow, were so
dangerous, in consequence of the sharks with which the harbour was
infested, that the Spaniards were not at all likely to imperil their
lives by attempting to swim them. There they were, therefore, harmless
enough, so far as we were concerned, until morning, when probably some
passing fisherman might be attracted by their cries, and would release
them. But, whether released or not, I had very little fear that they
would attempt to return to the battery and give the alarm there; the
fact that they had allowed themselves to be surprised and made prisoners
would be accounted by their officers an unpardonable crime; and the
probability was that, when released from the island, they would take to
the forest and make for the interior to escape punishment.

By the time that we had landed these two unfortunate men the thunder-
storm had passed away to seaward, the crash of the thunder had become
modulated to a booming rumble, and a steady, drenching downpour of rain
had set in; the clouds overhead, however, were not nearly so heavy and
black as they had been previous to the outbreak of the storm, and there
was sufficient light to enable us to see where we were going. We
accordingly shoved off from Brujas in high spirits, and, hoisting our
sails, headed up the harbour. The land wind was blowing, although not
very strongly, and when we had been under way about half an hour we
began to look out for the galleon. Hoard was the first to see her--
probably because he knew best of us all where to look for her,--and, the
moment that she was sighted, the gig's sails were lowered, as a signal
for the other boats to close round us. This they immediately did, when
I repeated, in a low voice, the orders that I had already given before
leaving the schooner, in order that every man might know exactly what
duty was expected of him, and do it. Then, having thus refreshed every
man's memory, I gave the order to draw cutlasses and paddle quietly
alongside.

A few minutes sufficed to take us to the galleon; and a fine, stately,
noble-looking craft she was, towering out of the water like a line-of-
battle ship; her lofty masts and wide-spreading yards seeming to pierce
the sky and lose themselves among the few stars that now came twinkling
mistily out, here and there overhead.