we
went, with a flowing sheet, upon a north-west by west course; arriving
off Mangle Point about noon. From thence we began to haul somewhat off
from the land, the wind drawing further aft and freshening somewhat as
we did so; so that by sunset the lively little craft had brought
Lucrecia Point fairly on her larboard beam. As the sun went down the
wind manifested a disposition to drop; and for a couple of hours we
crept along at a speed of scarcely five knots; but it breezed up again
just after the first watch came on deck; and by two bells we were
smoking through it faster than I had ever before seen the craft travel.
In accordance with the plan which Courtenay and I had arranged, we took
the tiller between us during the whole of the first watch, the two hands
whose places we had taken coolly going below and turning in. When the
watch was called at midnight we felt that we had done enough for our
purpose, so we retired below and spent the remainder of the night in our
bunks.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

A NARROW ESCAPE.

At daybreak next morning we were awakened by a terrific hubbub overhead,
and going on deck to ascertain what was the matter we found that the
felucca, having been allowed to draw in too close with the land during
the night, was becalmed off Guajaba Island, whilst a sail, some nine
miles distant in the offing--evidently a British man-of-war from the cut
of her canvas, and apparently a frigate from her size--was heading
straight for us, close-hauled on the larboard tack, with a rattling
breeze, as we could see by the way she was laying over to it and the
rapidity with which her sails rose above the horizon. There could be no
doubt that they had seen us with the first approach of daylight and were
determined to give us an overhaul, hence the confusion which had aroused
us from our peaceful slumbers. It was laughable to witness the agonised
dismay with which the Spaniards viewed the approach of this craft, and
to listen to the prayers, vows, and maledictions which issued
indiscriminately from their lips as she swept relentlessly down toward
us. They anticipated nothing less than the capture and destruction of
the felucca, and the detention of themselves as prisoners, which
catastrophe, bad enough in itself as it must have appeared to them, was
doubtless rendered infinitely more disagreeable by the reflection that
to this mishap must be added the total collapse of their pretty little
plan for the betraya