Panama market;
the country all round about within a radius of a dozen miles or so had
therefore come to be regarded as practically as safe as the streets of
the city itself, and hawking parties were of frequent occurrence among
the magnates of Panama. And to encounter one of these parties would be
to inevitably give the alarm to the citizens, which, strong as the
English felt themselves to be, was a consummation to be carefully
avoided; wherefore, having gazed their fill upon the glorious prospect
before them, the party retired along the way by which they had come,
until they reached a spot where they had already decided to camp; and
there they spent the night. The journey down into the plain was
accomplished on the following day with the utmost circumspection, not
only because every step which they now took led to the danger of
detection by some party of sportsmen, or solitary fowler, but also
because the "tame" Indians had to be reckoned with; and it was known
that these were in the habit of wandering far up the slopes of the
Cordilleras in search of game and of the fruit that grew wild in rich
abundance in certain of the woods. Moreover, the time had now arrived
when a definite plan of action of some sort must be determined upon,
since this would largely influence the manner of their approach to the
city and their subsequent actions. Therefore as soon as the party had
once more topped the ridge upon which they had stood entranced for half
an hour during the previous evening young Saint Leger called a halt and,
flinging himself down upon the grass, produced his perspective glass--or
telescope, as we now call the much improved instrument--and with its
assistance subjected the town and roadstead to a prolonged and careful
examination. The result of this examination, and of a conference with
his officers which was simultaneously conducted, was that the resolution
was made to capture a certain caravel which was seen to be riding at
anchor in the roadstead and which appeared to be the best suited to
their requirements of any of the ships then in sight; and, having
secured possession of her, to threaten the town with destruction by her
guns until all the information required from the Governor had been
abstracted from him; after which the only thing remaining to be done
would be to sail in search of the galleys containing the English
prisoners, and capture them when found. It was an audacious scheme, for
Panama was the