straight on for the open sea. Her captain will make for the
next channel, two or three miles south, to catch us there as we come
out--and we shan't come out, for we shall go right on in and out among
the shallows and get clear off, so as to sail into Velova Bay. We shall
be all right if we don't come crash on to one of the shark's fin rocks."

"And if we do?"

"Well, if we do we shan't get off again--only in the boats--but old
Villarayo's gang won't get the ammunition, for that will go down to
amuse the sharks."

"Well, this is nice," said Fitz. "The schooner was bad enough before;
now it's ten times worse."

"Nonsense. See how we are skimming along. This is a new experience for
you. You will see more fun with us in a month than you would in your
old tea-kettle of a gunboat in twelve."

"Phew!" ejaculated the skipper, coming up, straw hat in one hand,
pocket-handkerchief in the other, and mopping his face. "This is rather
warm work, Poole, my boy. Well, Mr Burnett, what do you think of
blockade running for a change?"

"What do I think of it, sir?" said Fitz, who was still holding on tight
to one of the ropes.

"Yes. Good as yachting, isn't it?"

"Well, I don't like it a bit, sir. I don't call it seamanship."

"Indeed, young gentleman! What do you call it, then?"

"Utter recklessness, sir."

"Oh!" said the skipper. "Well, it is running it rather close, but you
can't do blockade running without. Not afraid, are you?"

"Oh, I don't know about being afraid, sir, but I think that we shall
have to take to the boats."

"Yes, that's quite likely, but the chances are about equal that we shall
not. Mr Burgess knows what he is about, and as likely as not we shall
be right into Velova Bay soon after sunrise, and the President's gunboat
twenty miles away."

Several times over during the rest of the night's run, Fitz observed
that there was a little anxious conference between the skipper and the
mate, the former speaking very sternly, and on one occasion the latter
spoke out loud in a sharp angry voice, the words reaching the middy's
ear.

"Of course it is very risky," he said, "but I feel as if I shall get her
through, or I shouldn't do it. Shall we take soundings and drop anchor
in the best bit we can find?"

"Where we shall be clearly seen as soon as day breaks? No! Go on."

It was a relief then to both the lads when the day broke, showing them a
line of breakers about half-a-mile away on th