l of their friends the pirates, and the subsequent
division of the spoil. And even to us the prospect was by no means
inviting. It was true that here was a chance for us to rejoin our own
countrymen, and so escape from the dilemma in which we foresaw that we
should be placed after leaving the Conconil lagoons; but we were not
altogether without hopes that we might in any case be able to escape
from that dilemma; and having resolved to go through with the adventure
we were now by no means disposed to have it nipped in the bud. We were
consequently quite as averse to a visit from the frigate as was Carera
himself, and we at once set our wits to work to see if it might not be
possible to devise some means of escape. The breeze was blowing fresh
to within a mile of where we lay, and I felt convinced that the frigate,
with the way she had on her, would shoot far enough ahead, even after
she had entered the calm belt, to reach us with her guns; it was
therefore evident that whatever was to be done would have to be done
quickly, if it was to be of any use at all. I looked around and saw, by
the colour of the water, that there was a shoal at no great distance
inshore of us. I called Carera aft and said to him:

"Look here, Carera, do you happen to know this coast pretty well?"

"Every inch of it, senor," was the reply.

"I see there is shoal water over there," said I, indicating the
direction with a nod of the head. "Now, what is to hinder you from
rigging out your sweeps and sweeping the felucca into such shallow water
as will prevent the frigate yonder from approaching you near enough to
reach you with her guns? The _Pinta_ is in light trim, and with all
hands at the sweeps you ought to be able to move her pretty smartly
through the water. And even should the frigate send her boats after us,
we might be able to keep out of their way until the breeze comes."

"Excellent, senor!" he exclaimed rapturously. "I had never thought of
that. Ah, it is you gentlemen of the navy who, after all, have the
ideas! Out sweeps, forward there!" he continued; "we will escape that
accursed Englishman yet."

The crew, aroused by the hopeful tone in which Carera spoke, scrambled
up off their knees, and rigging out the sweeps soon had the little craft
heading direct for the shore and moving through the water at the rate of
some four knots. The frigate seeing this hoisted her ensign and fired a
gun as a signal for us to heave to, of