g by noon, the Inquisition shall be the first building to
suffer from our shot. Now, go!"

So they went, with much shaking of heads and wringing of hands.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

HOW THEY SET OUT TO RESCUE CAPTAIN MARSHALL, AND FAILED.

The morning was passed strenuously by the English in preparing both the
_Adventure_ and her prize for the grim business of bombarding Cartagena,
if need were; the hope in every man's heart being that the spectacle of
the preparations--which was clearly visible from the water front of the
town--would have the effect of breaking down the stubborn wills of the
Spaniards, and constraining them to surrender their prisoner. For up to
this moment there had never been any real doubt in the mind of any one
of the Englishmen that Marshall had been discovered and made a prisoner;
and they were steadfastly resolved to secure his freedom, let the cost
be what it would.

After carefully considering and discussing the matter together, Bascomb
and Winter arrived at the conclusion that it would be possible to effect
such a division of the crew as would enable both ships to employ the
whole of their heaviest ordnance against the town; and this was
accordingly done, the _Adventure_ being afterward moved to a berth
astern of the galleon, so that neither ship should obstruct the fire of
the other.

It wanted about a quarter of an hour of noon, and the preparations
aboard both ships were complete, when the boat which had visited them in
the morning was observed to be putting out again from the wharf and
pulling toward the _Adventure_; but it was soon perceived that on this
occasion she carried only one figure, which was presently seen to be
that of the interpreter.

"The Captain is not there!" exclaimed Bascomb, when this was recognised.
"Now, what a plague do they mean by sending off the boat without him?
Are they going to beg for more time, I wonder? And, if so, why? For I
will never believe but that they know where he is, but are determined to
exhaust every artifice and subterfuge in the endeavour to avoid giving
him up!"

The others said nothing, for what was the use of hazarding conjecture
when they would soon know for certain? So they held their tongues and
watched the approach of the boat with gloomy, louring glances. They
were disappointed, and in a savage, dangerous mood, ready to plunge at a
word into any desperate enterprise.

The boat ranged up alongside, and the oarsmen rested upon