izes."

"Oh, what nonsense you do talk, to be sure, Gerald! Just when Bob's
news is so interesting, too."

"I have told all my news, Carrie. Now I want to hear yours. The
Spaniards haven't began to batter down the Rock, yet?"

"We have been very quiet, Bob. On the 11th a great convoy, of about
sixty sail--protected by five xebecs, of from twenty to thirty guns
each--came along. They must have come out from Malaga, the very
night you passed there. They were taking supplies, for the use of
the Spanish fleet; and the privateers captured three or four small
craft; and the Panther, the Enterprise, and the Childers were kept
at their anchor, all day. Why, no one but the admiral could say. We
were all very much disappointed, for everyone expected to see
pretty nearly all the Spanish vessels brought in."

"Yes," Captain O'Halloran said, "it has caused a deal of talk, I
can tell you. The navy were furious. There they were, sixty
vessels, all laden with the very things we wanted; pretty well
becalmed, not more than a mile off Europa Point, with our batteries
banging away at them; and nothing in the world to hinder the
Panther, and the frigates, from fetching them all in. Half the town
were out on the hill, and every soul who could get off duty at the
Point; and there was the admiral, wasting the whole mortal day in
trying to make up his mind. If you had heard the bad language that
was used in relation to that old gentleman, it would have made your
hair stand on end.

"Of course, just as it got dark the ships of war started; and
equally, of course, the convoy all got away in the dark, except six
bits of prizes, which were brought in in the morning. We have
heard, since, that it was on purpose to protect this valuable fleet
that the Spanish squadron arrived, before you went away; but as it
didn't turn up, the squadron went off again, and we had nothing to
do but just to pick it up."

After breakfast, Captain O'Halloran went off with Bob to the
Antelope. He found all hands busy, bending on sails in place of
those that had been damaged, taking those of the brig first
captured for the purpose.

"They fit very well," Joe Lockett said, "and we have not time to
lose. We sail again, this afternoon. The captain says there is
nothing to prevent our going out, now; and as the Spanish squadron
may be back any day, we might have to run the gauntlet to get out,
if we lost the present chance. So he is not going to waste an hour.

"Cr