rful shove, scrambling in over the bows as she slid stern-foremost
into the deep water, and thereby nearly capsizing all hands. However we
managed, between us, to keep the boat right side up, and the man seating
himself at the oars the craft was slewed round by one powerful stroke
until her nose pointed seaward, and away we went, a faint clear silvery
cry of "_A mas ver_! _A Dios_!" floating after us into the darkness,
accompanied by a ghostly flutter of scarcely discernible handkerchiefs.
"_A Dios_!" we shouted back as the two lingering forms vanished in the
gloomy shadow of the precipitous slope leading down to the shore; and in
another minute or so we shot alongside the felucca and sprang in over
her low bulwarks.

"Welcome, gentlemen!" exclaimed the figure who received us. "This is
better than I expected. I was afraid we should have been obliged to
wait for you; and there is a craft creeping down alongshore there whose
movements I do not like. I fear she has been watching us, since she can
have no other business down here so close in with the land. However,
here you are, so we will bear away at once, if you please; and if he
wants to watch us let him follow. It will take a smart craft to
overhaul the little _Pinta_. Perhaps you would like to go below at once
and inspect your berths?"

We replied that we should, whereupon he ushered us aft to the small
companion, and, cautioning us against the almost perpendicular ladder
and the lowness of the beams, shouted to some unseen "Francisco" to show
a light below and to attend generally to our wants.

We dived below and entered the small cabin; a gruff order or two on
deck, accompanied by a creaking of blocks and gear bearing testimony to
the fact that the _Pinta_ was bearing away for the open sea, and that
our escape was actually an accomplished fact.

"Francisco" proved to be a bright intelligent lad of some thirteen or
fourteen years of age, jauntily rigged in a picturesque costume somewhat
similar to that of the Neapolitan fishermen in "Masanielo;" but his
shapely features were somewhat marred by the long white cicatrice of an
ugly wound across his forehead which showed up with startling
distinctness against the somewhat dusky hue of his skin. The wound must
have given him a rather narrow squeak for it when it was inflicted; and
I was about to question him as to the particulars concerning it when he
bustled away, and in a few minutes returned with a couple o