the native craft, and bring them in;
and so will the other privateers. I expect there will be a good
many down here, before long. The worst of it is, there won't be any
sale for the craft we capture."

"Except for firewood, Joe. That is one of the things I have heard
we are sure to run very short of, if there is a long siege."

"Well, that will be something and, of course, any prizes we take
laden with things likely to be useful, and sell here, we shall
bring in; but the rest we shall have to send over to the other
side, so as to be out of sight of their fleet, and then take them
straight back to England.

"You see, we have shipped twice as many hands as we had on the
voyage when you were with us. We had only a trader's crew, then;
now we have a privateer's.

"Look there! There is a craft making in from the south. It is like
enough she has got the despatches on board. There are two or three
of those small Spanish craft getting under sail, to cut her off;
but they won't do it. They could not head her, without getting
under the fire of the guns of those batteries, on the point."

"Well, I will go ashore now, Joe, if you will let me have the boat.
The captain is going to have supper with us, tonight. I wanted you
to come too, but he said you could not both come on shore,
together. I hope we shall see you tomorrow."

On landing, Bob made his way to the barrack, so as to intercept
Gerald when he came off duty.

"Look here, Gerald," he said, when Captain O'Halloran came out of
the orderly room, "I want you to back me up."

"Oh, you do? Then I am quite sure that you are up to some mischief
or other, Bob, or you wouldn't want me to help you with Carrie."

"It is not mischief at all, Gerald. The Antelope came in last
night, and I saw Captain Lockett this morning, and I have asked him
to come to supper."

"Well, that is all right, Bob. We have plenty of food, at present."

"Yes, but that is not it, Gerald. He has invited me to go for a
cruise with him. He is going to pick up some prizes, along the
Spanish coast."

"Oh, that is it, is it? Well, you know very well Carrie won't let
you go."

"Well, why shouldn't I, Gerald? You know that I have been working
very well, here; and I am sure I have learnt as much Spanish, in
six months, as uncle expected me to learn in two years--besides
lots of Latin, and other things, from the doctor. Now, I do think
that I have earned a holiday. A fellow at school always has a
holid