ough the
water.

He made not a sound as he went along--for it was to avoid alarming the
Spaniards that he had hit upon this plan.

The boat was not far from shore and he reached it in a few moments. He
was overjoyed to recognize that it was, as he expected, one of the boats
from the flagship.

There were two occupants of the boat, one at the oars and the other in
the stern. Clif did not recognize them, but he did not pause on that
account. Time was precious, and the boat must be gotten to shore and the
balance of the party taken aboard without delay.

"Boat ahoy!" he exclaimed joyously, as he reached the side without
having been seen by the occupants. "Take me aboard, men, and then pull
for the shore for all you are worth."

Clif's sudden appearance and the words he spoke had a startling effect
upon the oarsman by whose side Clif made his appearance.

The latter started with an oath, and as Clif seized the side of the boat
and raised himself partly from the water, his gaze fell upon the
glistening barrel of a revolver and back of it he saw a face distorted
with rage and hate.

"Carramba!" fell upon Clif's ear. "It is an Americano! Death to the
American pigs!"

The occupants of the boats were Spaniards.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

A STRUGGLE AGAINST ODDS.

The position in which Clif found himself was so startlingly unexpected
and so full of peril that for a brief instant it almost unnerved him.

Had he suspected the possibility of the boat being manned by Spaniards,
he would have given up the thought as soon as he recognized it as one
belonging to the flagship. It seemed natural that a boat should be sent
to look for them after their protracted absence, and it was a decided
shock to find that he had fallen, alone and unarmed, in the way of his
enemies.

But his surprise affected him but for an instant. He did not propose to
be shot down if he could help it.

The report of the pistol that met Clif's gaze rang out upon the air, but
the bullet did not reach its intended mark.

Like a flash Clif had released his hold upon the boat, and dropped
beneath the water, just in the nick of time.

The Spaniard peered over the side of the boat in the darkness, expecting
to see Clif's form appear on the surface, and hoping to see his life's
blood staining the waters, a testimony to his marksmanship.

How could he have failed to send that bullet crashing through the
American's brain? thought he.

But nothing of th