sk of breaking out
the packages and conveying them on deck. The boats' crews were all
coloured men, and mostly negroes; but in the leading boat there came a
mulatto bearing a letter from Rabi, the then leader of the insurgents,
to Don Hermoso, authorising the bearer, one Jose Seguin, to receive the
contraband, which was now passed down into the boats with all possible
speed, as a rumour had reached the place that a strong body of Spanish
troops was in the neighbourhood, and might make its appearance at any
moment. It did not turn up, however, and by two o'clock in the
afternoon every scrap of incriminating material was out of the yacht and
on its way to the headquarters of the insurgents, somewhere up in the
Organ Mountains. Every scrap, that is to say, except the four 12-pound
quick-firers and the two Maxims, with their store of ammunition, which
constituted the armament of the yacht. These weapons had not thus far
been mounted, it having been deemed inadvisable to make so unusual a
display as that of an armed yacht in the harbour of Key West, lest undue
attention should be attracted to the vessel, and inconvenient questions
asked. But now, by Milsom's advice, they got the weapons up and mounted
them, so that, in the event of the vessel being searched by the Spanish
authorities, there should be nothing in the nature of concealed weapons
on board to afford an excuse for the making of trouble. Thus, by the
end of the afternoon watch the yacht was again spruce and clean as a new
pin, and made a very brave show with her brand-new, silver-bright guns
grinning threateningly out over the rail, and the two Maxims all ready
for action on the top of the deck-house. Her appearance said, as
plainly as words: "Touch me who dares!" yet her armament was not
boisterously aggressive, considering that her presumptive owner had set
out from England with no very settled programme, but the possibility
that ere he returned he might be moved to visit spots where, despite the
rapid spread of civilisation, might is still right.

The hurry and confusion incidental to the landing of the yacht's cargo
of contraband had been so great that any such orderly meal as the usual
luncheon had been out of the question, and everybody had eaten and drunk
as they worked, snatching a mouthful or a gulp when they could; the
little saloon party were consequently now gathered on the top of the
deck-house, getting an early afternoon tea, while the anchor wa