said that, at a certain siege when the Moors were here, the then
Queen of Spain took her seat on that rock, and declared she would
never go away till Gibraltar was taken. She also took an oath never
to change her linen, until it surrendered. I don't know how she
managed about it, at last, for the place never did surrender. I
suppose she got a dispensation, and was able to get into clean
clothes again, some day.

"I have heard tell that the Spaniards have a colour that is called
by her name--a sort of dirty yellow. It came out at that time. Of
course, it would not have been etiquette for other ladies to wear
white, when her majesty was obliged to wear dingy garments; so they
all took to having their things dyed, so as to match hers; and the
tint has borne her name, ever since."

"It is a very nasty idea," Bob said; "and I should think she took
pretty good care, afterwards, not to take any oaths. It is hot
enough, now; and I should think, in summer, it must be baking
here."

"It is pretty hot, on the Rock, in summer. You know, they call the
natives of the place Rock scorpions. Scorpions are supposed to like
heat, though I don't know whether they do. You generally find them
lying under pieces of loose rock; but whether they do it for heat,
or to keep themselves cool, I can't say.

"Now, Mr. Probert, you may as well take some of the sail off her.
We will anchor inside those craft, close to the New Mole. They may
want to get her alongside, to unload the government stores we have
brought out; and the nearer we are in, the less trouble it will be
to warp her alongside, tomorrow morning. Of course, if the landing
place is full, they will send lighters out to us."

Illustration: View of Gibraltar from the Bay.

View of Gibraltar from the Bay.

The sails were gradually got off the brig, and she had but little
way on when her anchor was dropped, a cable's length from the end
of the Mole. Scarcely had she brought up when a boat shot out from
the end of the pier.

"Hooray!" Bob shouted. "There are my sister, and Gerald."

"I thought as much," the captain said. "We hoisted our number, as
soon as we came round the point; and the signal station, on the top
of the Rock, would send down the news directly they made out our
colours."

"Well, Bob, it gave me quite a turn," his sister said, after the
first greetings were over, "when we saw how the sails were all
patched, and everyone said that the ship must have been in action.