"Well, perhaps you had better go back again now; and we will shape
our course for Gibraltar, at once. All this firing would have
attracted the attention of any Spanish war vessel there might be
about. We must leave the barque's manifesto till the morning.

"As you have lost the boatswain, I will send one of my best hands
back with you, to act as your first mate. He must get that topsail
yard of yours repaired, at once. It does not matter about the
mizzenmast, but the yard is of importance. We may meet with Spanish
cruisers, outside the Rock, and may have to show our heels."

"Yes, I shall be glad of a good man, captain. You see, I know
nothing about it, and don't like giving any orders. It was all very
well getting on board, and knocking down the crew; but when it
comes to sailing her, it is perfectly ridiculous my giving orders,
when the men know that I don't know anything about it."

"The men know you have plenty of pluck, Bob; and they know that it
was entirely due to your swimming off to that Spanish ship that we
escaped being captured, before; and they will obey you willingly,
as far as you can give them orders. Still, of course, you do want
somebody with you, to give orders as to the setting and taking in
of the sails."

As soon as the last gun had been fired, the three vessels had been
laid head to wind but, when Bob's boat reached the side of the
polacre, they were again put on their course and headed southwest,
keeping within a short distance of each other.

Bob's new first mate, an old sailor named Brown, at once set the
crew to work to get up a fresh spar, in place of the broken yard.
The men all worked with a will. They were in high spirits at the
captures they had made; and the news which Brown gave them, that
the polacre was laden with wine, assured to each of them a
substantial sum in prize money.

Before morning the yard was in its place and the sail set and,
except for the shortened mizzen, and a ragged hole through the
bulwark, forward, the polacre showed no signs of the engagement of
the evening before. Two or three men were slung over the stern of
the brig; plugs had been driven through the shot holes and, over
these, patches of canvas were nailed, and painted black.

Nothing, however, could be done with the sails, which were
completely riddled with holes. The crew were set to work to shift
some of the worst; cutting them away from the yards, and getting up
spare sails from below. Bob had p