, scarcely a mile ahead. There were no lights
visible on board her; but the frequent flash of the moonlight upon
polished steel showed that someone at least, probably a sentinel, was
moving and presumably on the watch on board her.

Now arose the question: What was to be done? Should they stand boldly
on and take the risk of being challenged; or should they run the boat
ashore and take to the woods? Everything depended upon the question of
what was the galley's business just there, of all places in the world;
and it did not take the Englishmen long to make up their minds that in
all probability she had been stationed there to keep a lookout for them,
as the passage out at the back of Baru was so obviously the one that
would be most likely to be taken by people anxious to escape from
Cartagena by water. If that were the case they could not possibly hope
to slip past the craft unchallenged, for the moon was every moment
soaring higher into the sky and more clearly lighting up the scene, and
especially the surface of the water. And if they were challenged and,
refusing to reply, attempted to escape, what hope of success had they?
Absolutely none! Therefore they put down their helm, hove the boat
about, and headed in for the land.

If any doubt remained in their minds as to the character and intentions
of the galley, it was speedily dissipated, for they had scarcely got
their boat round upon the other tack when a musket was discharged on
board the craft, and a hail was faintly heard pealing across the water
from her, and some two minutes later a ruddy flash succeeded by a puff
of smoke leapt from her forecastle, followed, a second or two later, by
the splash of a heavy shot in the water a dozen yards or so astern of
the boat. Five breathless minutes followed for the fugitives, and then
a whole forest of oars suddenly sprang from the galley's sides, plunged
into the water, and she was under way, heading straight after the boat.

"Shall we do it, Dick, think you?" demanded Stukely, as he peered
anxiously under the foot of the sail.

"Yes," answered Dick, "if the wind holds. Blow, good breezes, blow!" he
murmured, and began to whistle softly. Suddenly he sat more upright in
the boat and gazed eagerly ahead.

"Look ahead and all along past our weather bow, Phil," he said. "Is my
sight deceiving me, or do I see a number of water channels running into
the land there? To me it looks as though there was an indentatio