o pass down the hatchway.

As I turned away with a bow from Don Felix and his little group of
officers, the former gave the order to clear ship for action; and at the
same moment Don Luis, who, it seemed, had come unobserved on deck and
had heard the altercation between Don Felix and myself, pressed forward
and placed himself by my side.

"I will come below with you for a moment, if I may," said he.

"Assuredly," said I; "I shall be glad to have a word with you, Don Luis,
before the action commences. _Dolphins_," I continued in English, "just
look about you as you pass below, and take possession of anything you
can find likely to prove handy as a weapon. I'm by no means sure we
shall not be yet obliged to fight for our lives, though the dons have so
scornfully refused our assistance."

"Is that your honest conviction?" asked Don Luis, who understood English
perfectly, "or is it merely the expression of a little bitterness at
Captain Calderon's singularly discourteous behaviour?"

"It is my honest conviction," said I. "It may seem a very impertinent
thing for me to say, Don Luis; but, from what I have seen of the
officers and crew of this vessel, I do not believe they will be able to
withstand the pirates' attack longer than five minutes at the utmost. I
am glad you have given me the opportunity to say this to you, for I
should not like disaster to find you quite unprepared. Would that I
could think of some means of providing for your daughter's safety!"

"The saints be merciful to us! Do you really think matters are so
desperate as that, Senor Lascelles?" ejaculated Don Luis.

"I do, indeed," replied I.

"Then, supposing the pirates gain possession of the ship, what do you
think will happen?" asked my friend, in great perturbation.

"They will undoubtedly ransack the ship and plunder her of every article
of the slightest value, in the first place," said I; "but what they will
next do is not so certain. `Dead men tell no tales,' however, and the
chances are that every male on board will be slaughtered in cold blood,
or thrown overboard, after which the ship will, doubtless, be scuttled
or set on fire."

"Stay were you are a few minutes, I pray you, my dear boy," ejaculated
Don Luis, in a tone of voice which betrayed his extreme consternation;
"I must go on deck and have a word or two with Captain Calderon. I have
not yet wholly lost my power or influence, though I _am_ to some extent
in disgrace."

H