ere to lay their hands upon any required
halliard, sheet, tack, brail, or downhaul in the darkest night; and
while this was being done the guns' crew, under Barker, the gunner,
carefully overhauled all the ordnance, great and small, and satisfied
themselves that every piece was ready for immediate service. This done,
the ordnance was loaded with a full powder charge, and a considerable
quantity of shot of various kinds was sent up on deck, ready for
immediate use; for George knew not how his message might be received by
the Governor, and he was determined to be prepared for anything and
everything that could possibly happen.

While these things were being done, Dyer the pilot, for want of
something better to do, amused himself by studying the city generally
through George's perspective glass; and after he had done so pretty
thoroughly he approached his young captain with a suggestion.

"Cap'n," he said, "while you've been busy wi' Barker, there, about the
ordnance, I've been starin' at the town through thicky glass o' yours,
and the thought have comed to me that if we're goin' to be obliged to
bombard, we're anchored in the wrong place. We ought to be lyin'
somewhere over there, a bit more to the east'ard, and a li'l bit closer
inshore. So far 's I can make out, there's a gurt wide street runnin'
right down to the shore yonder, just in a line wi' thicky big white
house atop of the hill; and if we was anchored in line wi' thicky
street, our shot 'd sweep un from end to end and, unless I be greatly
mistaken, would play havoc wi' some of they big buildin's, the tops of
which you can see over t'other houses, and which I thinks may be
Gov'ment buildin's of some sort--ay, and I be right, too, for, look 'e
there, dashed if they ain't hoistin' the Spanish flag upon the biggest
of 'em now."

George took the glass and carefully studied the buildings indicated by
Dyer, and soon came to the conclusion that the pilot was correct in
surmising them to be Government buildings, for as Dyer had said, there
was the golden flag of Spain floating from a flagstaff surmounting the
most imposing of the group, which was undoubtedly Government House. But
why had the flag only just now been hoisted? Had the fact any
significance, or was it merely due to the neglect or forgetfulness of
some subordinate official? For it was now close upon ten o'clock, and
if the flag was hoisted daily, as of course it should be over a
Government building,