of the
vivid colouring, and was startled for the moment at the curious effect,
for there, balanced as it were on the highest point of the low ridge of
mountains at the back of the city, was the huge orange globe that lit up
the whole bay right away to sea, and even as he gazed the sun seemed to
touch the mountains whose summit marked a great black notch like a cut
out of its lower edge.

"Here they come," said Poole, making Fitz start round again. "What
swells," he continued bitterly. "The dad ought to go below and put on
his best jacket. Look at the golden braid."

"I say," cried Fitz, "he'll see my uniform. What will he say to me?"

"Take you for an English officer helping in a filibustering craft."

"Oh, but I shall explain myself," cried Fitz. "But it would be rather
awkward if they didn't believe me. Here, you, Poole, I don't understand
a word of Spanish; you will have to stand by me and help me out of a
hole."

"And put my father in?" cried Poole. "You are a modest chap!--Why, look
there, I am bothered if the dad isn't going to do it!" cried the lad
excitedly.

"Do what?"

"Put on his best jacket. Look, he's going to the cabin-hatch. No, he
isn't. What's he saying to old Butters?"

The lad had no verbal answer, but he saw for himself. The gunboat's
cutter was still a couple of hundred yards away, and coming steadily on,
when, as if by accident or from the action of the swell, the spokes of
the wheel moved a little, with the consequence that the wind began to
fill the schooner's sails, the man at the wheel turned it a little, and
the canvas shivered once more.

But the schooner had begun to move, gliding imperceptibly along, and as
this manoeuvre was repeated, she moved slowly through the water, keeping
the row-boat almost at the same distance astern. A full minute had
elapsed before the officer noticed this, and he rose in the stern-sheets
and shouted an order in Spanish, to which the mate replied by seeming to
repeat it to the man at the wheel, who hurriedly gave the spokes a turn,
the sails filled, and the _Teal_ glided steadily on.

"Yah!" roared Butters furiously. "Out of the way, you great clumsy
lubber!" And he made a rush at the man, who loosed his hold of the
spokes and backed away as if to shelter himself from blows, while,
swinging free, the rudder yielded to the pressure of the swell and the
schooner glided along faster still.

There was a threatening shout from the boat and