We got alongside without being challenged--to my great surprise; and,
half of us boarding her to port and the other half to starboard, in less
than a minute we were all on deck, and gliding softly and noiselessly as
shadows here and there; some securing the fore-scuttle, others the
companions and sky-lights; while others again were briskly swarming up
the shrouds to loose the canvas; the carpenter--with his axe specially
sharpened for the occasion--at once stationing himself by the cables,
ready to cut them at a sign from me, while two men placed themselves at
the ponderous and highly-ornamented wheel.

The singular circumstance that we had succeeded in getting alongside
without being challenged was fully accounted for by the fact that not a
single soul was on deck when we had glided in over the galleon's lofty
bulwarks. If an anchor watch had been set, the men composing it had--as
Hoard had predicted--quietly ignored their duty, in the absence of the
officers, by turning in and leaving the ship to take care of herself.
The surprise was complete; the galleon had fallen into our hands without
so much as a single blow being struck. Of course, there was the crew
below to be reckoned with still, but meanwhile they were close prisoners
and asleep; and, even in the event of their awaking at once and
proceeding to force their way on deck, it would be some time ere they
would be able to break out; and by that time, if all went well, we
should be far enough from the neighbourhood of the town to render any
prospect of assistance from that quarter practically out of the
question. What I most feared was that somebody on board one or another
of the many craft that were anchored in our immediate vicinity might
notice the operation of loosing and setting the galleon's canvas, and
suspecting something to be wrong, man a boat and go ashore to give the
alarm; in which case we should soon have three or four swift galleys
after us; when we were likely enough to find ourselves in an exceedingly
awkward scrape. That, however, was a danger that we had to face. And
after all it was not so very great; for if no anchor watch was being
kept on board the galleon, how much less likely was it that such a watch
would be kept on board the comparatively valueless coasters by which we
were surrounded.

I had carefully explained to my crew beforehand what it was that we had
to do; and I had also given instructions that the whole of the work was
to